Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style
by VampSlaying101
Summary: Anime characters duke it out in a contest pitting the men against the women for a grand prize of 50,000 dollars. Parody of MTV's "The Challenge" AKA Real World/Road Rules Challenge . Expect the classic he said/she said drama. Relaunching 08/12/2013
1. You're Invited Meet the Competition

A/N: As you know, every author has to have a serious story and a fun, humorous story. Well, this is my pathetic attempt at a comedy. I don't know how this will turn out, but after having MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge drilled into my head, it gave me this idea. This story is actually a crossover of a lot of different anime shows, Yu Yu Hakusho, being the main anime involved. I'll tell you right now, that many of the characters...wait, take that back...ALL of the characters in this story, at certain moments, have some SERIOUS OOCness going on. Remember, you've been warned. Anyway, enough with my rambling, this story is generally random, senseless, and seeing that we're approaching a new beautiful season of sun and flowers (YAY) I figure I'd open it up with a comedy story. Truly, considering how depressed I find myself getting after typing a chapter to my other fic, I couldn't help myself. So kick back, relax, and enjoy this layback of a fic!

Oh BTW, this all takes place mid-seasonish for each anime involved. This is for good reason, being that some of the characters in the story died when their series ended.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any of the anime characters involved in this story. Nor do I own Jonny Moseley. Because that would be odd.

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 1: You're Invited/Meet the Competition!**

The day was warm and bright as six friends all gathered in the living room of Yusuke's apartment. He had just retrieved the mail, one envelope sticking out in particular, being that it had a U.S postage stamp on it. _Los Angeles, California? Isn't that in the states? _His curiosity was peaked as he quickly ripped at the envelope to reveal a letter inside. _MTV? Hmm._

"So, what does it say Yusuke?" Keiko asked from her place on the couch.

"It says: _You and yours are invited to participate in this year's four and a half week long Anime Star Challenge being held in Daytona Beach, Florida in the United States of America this coming June. This year's host will be Olympic Gold Medal winner Jonny Moseley. If you choose to take part in this fun for all challenge, you will then be eligible for the grand total prize of..._Fifty thousand American dollars?" Yusuke read the letter aloud in shock.

"Fifty thousand American dollars!" Kuwabara shouted as he snatched the paper from Yusuke's hand to see if what he was hearing was true.

"My, that's quite an amount of money." Kurama commented.

"Hell yeah, it's a lot of money!" Kuwabara added.

"I don't really see the point." Hiei stated flatly.

"Fifty thousand dollars, Hiei._ That's _the point." Yusuke answered with a confident grin.

"So what do we do, I mean, how do they expect us to get there?" Botan questioned as she scratched her head.

"Doesn't look like we have to worry about that." Yusuke said as he pulled out seven plane tickets from the envelope. "Seven, huh?"

"I refuse to participate in such nonsense." Hiei added bitterly.

"Dude, not even for fifty thousand dollars!" Kuwabara was stunned.

"Hn. I have no need for Human World handouts." Hiei answered.

"Not even if that hand out is fifty thousand dollars!" Kuwabara was still stunned.

"I'm _not_ going." Hiei insisted.

"Well, it look's like you'll _have_ to go." Yusuke added dryly.

"And why is that?" Hiei's expression turned slightly dark.

Clearing his throat, Yusuke began to read the notice at the bottom of the letter. "_In order to become eligible for the grand cash prize, each selected member MUST participate. Your selected participants are listed below. Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Shuichi "Kurama" Minamino, Keiko Yukimura, Botan, Yukina AND Hiei Jaganshi." _Yusuke read off the list.

"Ooh, my sweetie Yukina's coming too! Me, Yukina, and a beach...oh the possibilities!" Kuwabara chimed.

"I'll go!" Hiei interjected as he spared the orange haired boy an evil glare.

"Great! I'll just let Koenma know that we'll need some time off!" Yusuke added.

"Wow, I can't wait! It all sounds so exciting!" Botan breathed.

"Fifty thousand dollars, here we come!" Yusuke cheered.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you want an entire month off, to travel across the globe to _literally_ play games?" Koenma relayed Yusuke's explanation back to him as he absently tapped his nails on his desktop.

"We're not just talking games here. We're talking prizes. _Cash_ prizes!" Yusuke continued to try and convince the Spirit World Prince.

Releasing a gentle sigh, Koenma couldn't help but agree to the boy's terms. "Very well then. Just be sure not to come back here empty handed." Koenma informed.

"Oh trust me, you won't have to worry about that!" Yusuke added with a wink as he turned on his heels and headed for the exit.

"Koenma sir, you're actually letting them go?" Ogre questioned.

"Might as well, he just defeated Toguro. Kid needs a bit of a break. After all, he's earned it, they all have." Koenma answered.

"I guess you're right, sir." Ogre agreed.

"Well, back to work Ogre. I've got lots of Approvals to do." Koenma ordered.

"Yes, sir." Ogre obliged.

* * *

The time had finally arrived, as all seven teammates finally touched American soil. It had been a long twelve hour plane trip, but once they caught sight of the palm trees and beautiful bright sun of Daytona Beach, Florida, they knew it was worth it. The plane had come to a complete stop at the gate, and the passengers could feel the summer heat of the outdoors finally beginning to take effect on the plane's interior.

"Phew, just _feel_ that heat!" Kuwabara breathed as he retrieved his carry on bag from beneath his seat.

"Yeah, it's a good thing we dressed appropriately." Botan added as she tied her blue tresses in its usual up pony tail. All of them were indeed dressed for the occasion. Yusuke had donned a white tank, blue jean shorts and white sneakers. Kuwabara had chosen a green t-shirt and windbreaker track pants with his black Nike flip-flops, while Kurama wore a simple all white, silk, short-sleeved pants-suit and sandals. Even Hiei had been convinced to dress weather friendly as he was clothed in a white tee, black baggy shorts, along with some black hi-top Reeboks, something that the others had picked up for the Fire Demon the week they decided to go shopping for the trip. He only agreed to dress in human wear under the condition that he was permitted to carry his katana along with him. And as a result, it took them two hours to get through airport security, seeing that Hiei continually set off the metal detector alarm. Truly, he never would have been permitted through if he hadn't hypnotized the guards using the power of his Jagan eye. How embarrassing.

The girls were no exception. Of course Botan wore the friendliest color that was pink. The deity was dressed in a pink tank and Capri's, and white K-Swiss tennis shoes. Keiko was simply dressed in a red tank, white shorts and thong sandals, while Yukina wore a simple sky blue sundress and white sandals. They were all very excited to finally meet their competition. It was nice to compete for something other than the well-being of mankind every now and then. Especially when that something was a ridiculously large amount of money.

After retrieving their luggage, they finally made it towards the airport exit and were greeted by an elder man standing in front of a cream-colored stretch Escalade limo holding up a sign that read _Spirit Detectives._

"Well, I guess that's us guys." Yusuke pointed towards the man holding the sign.

"Are you the Spirit Detectives?" The man questioned Yusuke.

"That's right." Yusuke answered as he examined the limo's ritzy exterior.

"Right this way please." The man guided them towards the limo as he opened the door. The inside was even better than the outside. One couldn't tell from the tinted windows, but they were certain that this was a taste of what the rich and famous did on a regular basis. With its beige leather seats and wooden borders, jaws were dropping immediately.

"Oh wow, a television!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Ooh, a PS2! Hey dude, you got Tekken 5?" Kuwabara shouted.

"Hey, check it out, a bar!" Yusuke chimed.

"This is rather exquisite I must admit." Kurama added as his eyes grazed over the inside. "Don't you think so, Hiei?"

"Hn."

"So, where are we headed?" Botan questioned.

"Well, I'm guessing he's taking us to the hotel." Keiko answered.

"I remember the letter mentioning that the hotel was a surprise, correct?" Yukina queried.

"That's right! I sure hope it's as swank as this limo." Yusuke replied.

Yusuke's hopes were soon answered as they approached the front of two luxurious private villas. That's correct, villas. They had just been built, and as a special opening, they were open for MTV's Anime Star Challenge competitors. The four story beachfront villas were indeed eye candy to those used to the average side of life. Even Hiei's eyebrows had to quiver slightly at the sight of such beauty. Standing in front of the villas, were a crowd of individuals with luggage. The Spirit Detectives assumed that they were the competition. There were so many of them, Yusuke had imagined that there were at least fifty. They were all gathered in front of a man clad in a blue Hawaiian print shirt, white shorts, sandals and sun glasses.

"You can join the crowd over there, and Mr. Moseley will tell you what will go on from here." The limo driver instructed to which the Spirit Detectives followed.

"Alright, Spirit Detectives you guys are the last one's here." Jonny Moseley explained as he stood before the crowd of Anime competitors. "As all of you know, MTV is holding their first Annual Anime Star Challenge here in Daytona Beach, Florida, and you guys have all been selected as the first cast members!" He continued, earning the attention of all of those in the crowd. "First off, we'll start by introducing ourselves. I'm your host Jonny Moseley, and seeing that there are so many of you, I'm just going to call off all your names from this list, and you guys can just raise your hand so that everyone can see who you are." Johnny explained. "Okay, starting from the top: Yusuke Urameshi. Kazuma Kuwabara. Shuichi Minamino A.K.A Kurama. Keiko Yukimura. Botan. Hiei Jaganshi. Yukina. Kiba. Tsume. Hige. Toboe. Cheza. Blue. Leara. Android 17. Android 18. Goten Son. Pan Son. Trunks Briefs. Bra Briefs. Heero Yuy. Relena Peacecraft. Duo Maxwell. Hilde Schbeiker. Trowa Barton. Catherine Bloom. Quatre-Raberba Winner. Dorothy Catalonia. Wufei Chang. Sally Po. Kira Yamato. Athrun Zala. Lacus Clyne. Cagalli Yula Athha. Dearka Elsman. Yzak Jule. Miriallia Haw. Flay Allster. Serena Tsukino. Inuyasha. Kagome Higurashi. Koga. Sango. Sesshomaru. Miroku. Ayame. Kagura. Spike Spiegel. Jet Black. Faye Valentine. Julia. Vash "The Stampede" Ericks. Really Dude?" Jonny sighed at the way the infamous gunmen entered his name in the line up.

"Yep!" Vash grinned brightly.

Rolling his eyes, Jonny continued to read off the list. "Anyways. Meryl Strife. Winry Rockbell. Edward Elric. Alphonse Elric. Princess Aeka. and Ryoko." Jonny had to take a quick breath. "Phew, what a list! Well, now that we know each other's faces I'll explain how the game is going to be played." Jonny began.

"Man that's alot of people." Yusuke whispered.

"No kidding." Kuwabara sighed.

"Hey Cheza, I thought you said you would take us to Paradise." Kiba whispered to the Flower Maiden.

"Kiba, do you not see the palm trees and white sand beaches? This _is_ Paradise! The flowers said so." Cheza whispered back.

"Do _you_ not see the palm trees and white sand beaches?" Leara began. "I thought you guys said she was blind."

"She is." Hige answered. "I still say she's got like invisible antennae or something."

"Don't talk about Cheza that way! If she said this is Paradise, then damn it, this is Paradise!" Kiba protested as he shielded Cheza.

"Oh come off your high mountain Kiba!" Tsume scoffed.

"I will after you take your head out of your ass!" Kiba snapped.

"Hey, come on stop it you guys, you're missing the instructions!" Toboe interjected.

"Right, I wanna hear what's going on, so why don't you boys stop acting like pups, and shut up already!" Blue scolded.

"He started it." Kiba pouted.

"Whatever." Tsume huffed.

"As you know this is an Anime Star Challenge, however, what you don't know is _who_ you're going to be challenging." Jonny smirked at the sounds of confusion emanating from the crowd.

"I'm not liking the sound of this." Ryoko began lowly.

"Hmm." Aeka studied the host grimly.

"True you will be competing against one another in teams, but your teams will be based...on gender." A slight chuckle escaped his lips at the sounding of "what's" and "are you seriouses."

"Wait a minute!" Serena shouted.

"So you're saying..." Kagome trailed.

"That's right! Welcome to MTV's Anime Star Challenge: Battle of the Sexes!" Jonny announced.

"Great! Just what we need, another reason to despise men!" Meryl griped.

"The men and the women will be competing against one another for individual challenge prizes and finally the grand prize of fifty thousand dollars! There are a total of about thirty challenges in which you will compete to gain points for your team. Keep in mind that this is an elimination competition, so not all of you will make it to the very next challenge. One person will be eliminated based on their progress. I'll explain this further on your first challenge." Jonny explained.

"Oh come on!" Yusuke began. "This isn't even fair, there's no way that you can pit men against women. There's no competition for the guys!" Yusuke huffed earning a hefty "WHAT" from all of the female competitors.

"What's _that _supposed to mean!" Cagalli shouted.

"He's right." Wufei added. "There are just certain things that we are capable of doing as opposed to you women." Wufei explained flatly.

"Oh put a sock in it Wufei!" Hilde retorted.

"That's right, anything you boys can do, we can do twice as good!" Bra protested.

"Hn." Hiei huffed.

"And just what are you "HNing" about, small fry?" Ryoko bit back.

"You're not worth my time." Hiei effortlessly gave Ryoko the cold shoulder, causing the Space Pirate to roll up her sleeves and ball up her fist in anger.

"Why you puny little-"

"Now, now Ryoko, save that rage for the competition." Aeka innocently mocked as she held the angered Space Pirate back.

"Why is it that guys always think they're better than girls when it comes to things like this?" Pan heaved an annoyed sigh generating a chorus of "Because we are's" from the guys. "Hmph! Whatever, I could take you all blind-folded!"

"Even me?" Trunks intercepted with a sly grin.

"_Especially _you, Trunks! Talk about no contest! HA!" Pan prided as she turned her back to the Half-Saiyan Prince.

"Oh come off it Pan, you know you couldn't take Trunks even with the aid of Dende and every earth guardian that ever lived!" Goten teased.

"I'll show you!" Pan snapped.

"We _all _will! Right ladies?" Faye shot back hyping her female teammates up with cheers of "Death to the Guys!" who then returned with "Down with the chicks!"

"Well, it looks like both sides have already got the right attitude. Cheesy mantras and all." Jonny mocked. "Alright, living arrangements. The men will be staying in White Shore, while the women will stay in Starfish. You're first challenge begins tomorrow morning. Try to get acquainted with your teammates to build up the morale. Each team has been given a team Nokia cell phone that you'll find in the villas. Every morning, both teams will get a text message wake up call informing you of how to be prepared for each challenge." Jonny instructed. "Okay, I hope you guys enjoy your stay and rest up for your first challenge. I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that said, each team member split off into their designated villas.

"You guys are dead." Keiko whispered to Yusuke as she gathered her belongings.

"Whatever. You chicks don't stand a chance and you know it!" Yusuke shot back as he grabbed his luggage and headed down towards the guys' White Shore villa.

"Hmph!" After gathering her things, Keiko stormed off following her female teammates into their villa.

_**First Meeting in Starfish**_

"Well girls, looks like we've got some stubborn competition." Faye sighed as she plopped down on the couch, crossing her legs. "I know Spike's definitely going to be a big baby about the whole thing."

"Of course he is." Julia agreed.

"Hmph, men!" Kagura scoffed.

"Never thought I'd say this but, I'm with you on that one Kagura!" Kagome chimed.

"Those guys have no idea what they're getting themselves into!" Pan added with a sly smile.

"Listen ladies, if we're going to win this, it's going to take teamwork and dedication." Relena began. "Now, the guys are already convinced that they have the advantage. Well, we'll just have to show them otherwise."

"Here, here!" Hilde exclaimed.

"Hmm, I wish the other scouts were here with me!" Serena began. "We're all for that girl power stuff you know!"

"One thing the guys fail to do, is fight hard and still look pretty!" Bra exclaimed.

"Well, on the bright side, this villa is very pretty." Winry smiled as she eyed the exotic living area.

"Oh yes, it reminds me of one of my summer homes." Lacus breathed.

"You have a _summer _home?" Keiko questioned with widened eyes.

"That's right. But only a few." Lacus smiled.

"Wow, you must be pretty loaded!" Kagome blurted.

"But not as loaded as _me_!" Bra chimed confidently.

"Not to brag, but my family is quite wealthy." Lacus replied gently.

"As is mine!" Relena punched in. "As if you didn't know, I am formally known as the Vice Foreign Minister." Relena prided.

"Oh no, here we go." Hilde sighed.

"Excuse me Miss Relena, but you are not the wealthiest one here. I am by far the wealthiest considering my bloodline." Dorothy challenged.

"Hello are we forgetting about me here!" Cagalli shouted.

"What, do I like not matter? I'm the richest!" Flay protested.

"No, _I_ am!" Bra shouted angrily.

"No _my _family, is by far the richest in the world!" Lacus shot back.

"No _mine_ is!" Flay shouted.

"No, _mine_!" Cagalli huffed.

"Ahem, but are we forgetting who the real Princess in here is?" Aeka exclaimed. "It is no question of who the true royally wealthy lady is in this room!"

"Oh save it Princess!" Ryoko scoffed.

"I'm the richest!"

"No me!"

"I'm the richest"

Eventually all wealthy individuals were engaged in a verbal brawl to determine the extension of one's pocket.

"Hello, did we like totally forget about the invention of the capsule car!"

"Ugh, come on girls, we don't really have time for this!" Sango sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

The girls continued their ridiculous argument for at least five minutes before a rather sane individual decided to intervene.

"HEY!" Blue shouted in her loudest, most intimidating voice, causing all arguments to cease. "Okay, ONE question!" Blue began. "If you're all as "rich" as you claim to be, then why the hell did you enter a contest where the prize money is fifty thousand dollars?"

The room was silent for a moment that seemed to linger on for hours until the quarreling girls finally chorused together.

"CHARITY! DUH!"

"Now, I'm the richest."

"No, I am!"

"Ugh, come on girls, this is getting us nowhere!" Keiko sighed.

"Come on girls, stop it, no fighting. " Yukina pleaded.

_**First Meeting at White Shore**_

"You guys hear all the commotion at the girls' villa?" Quatre questioned.

"How could we not?" Heero sighed.

"I'm the richest!" Hige mocked in an overly girly, whiny tone.

"No, _I'm_ the richest!" Duo followed with the same mock tone.

"My family invented chairs!" Yusuke added in the same mocking voice.

"Mine owns the color blue!" Dearka added with a chuckle.

"Oh brother." Athrun sighed.

"Fifty thousand bucks says my hot-headed baby sister started it!" Trunks stated dryly.

"Oh no doubt." Goten sighed.

"If they keep this up, they're not going to get anywhere." Kira commented.

"Hmph, women." Inuyasha grumbled.

"And this is why men will always prosper, and their kind will never dominate." Wufei stated as he stretched out on the floor with his hands behind his head.

"He's right. You put women in a room together, and they're already fighting over who's lipstick last the longest or whatever the hell they feel is important." Spike griped.

"That was quite a sexist statement." Kurama chastised.

"Well, it's true." Spike shot back. "Women can't work together in a team because, women hate women."

"And that's exactly how we're going to win this game." Yzak smirked.

"Hmph, let the games begin!" Yusuke chuckled slapping fives with his new teammates. The games were indeed soon to begin, what challenges will be in store for these Anime Stars?

A/N: Yo, I know this is probably stupid as hell but what can I say, I needed I laid back, fun story. I'm really just doing this to be doing it. I hope ya like it. You can tell me what you think if you want, if not, that's cool too! Catch ya later!

*Edited for grammar, spelling, and minor content. 06/13/2011


	2. We Gotta Do WHAT?

A/N: Okay, so I guess you guys are liking it so far. That's cool, and thanks for the reviews, you guys are funny btw. Anyway, just in case you were wondering here is the list of all of the anime shows and characters involved in the story:

**Yu Yu Hakusho:** Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Shuichi "Kurama" Minamino, Hiei Jaganshi, Keiko Yukimura, Yukina, Botan and Koenma (But Koenma's not a contestant...okay...big DUH on my part).

**Dragonball GT:** Android 17, Goten Son, Trunks Briefs, Bra Briefs, Pan Son, and Android 18

**Gundam Wing:** Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre-Raberba Winner, Wufei Chang, Relena Peacecraft, Hilde Schebeiker, Catherine Bloom, Dorothy Catalonia, and Sally Po.

**Gundam Seed:** Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, Dearka Elsman, Yzak Jule, Lacus Clyne, Cagalli Yula Athha, Miriallia Haw, and Flay Allster.

**Inuyasha:** Inuyasha, Miroku, Koga, Sesshomaru, Kagome, Sango, Ayame (the female wolf demon that Koga "promised" to marry), and Kagura.

**Cowboy Bebop:** Spike Speigel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and Julia

**Wolf's Rain:** Kiba, Tsume, Hige, Toboe, Blue, Cheza, and Leara

**Trigun:** Vash "The Stampede" Ericks and Meryl Strife

**Full Metal Alchemist:** Edward "Ed" Elric, Alphonse "Al" Elric, and Winry Rockbell

**Tenchi Universe:** Aeka and Ryoko

**Sailor Moon: **Serena Tsukino

Phew, now that that's cleared up, we shall now proceed on with the games! And for our first challenge...

PS: Those confessional cutaways that the cast members do throughout the show are in **bold.**

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 2: We Gotta do WHAT!**

_**The Sun Rises over Starfish...**_

They were all awakened by the cheery tune that sang from the house's Nokia cell phone, alerting them for their first challenge. The excitement was brewing as Keiko reached over towards her clam-shaped nightstand to view the text message.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) So we get our first message informing us of our very first challenge. Naturally, it's been sent by none other than the Riddler himself.**

"What does it say?" Miriallia questioned with a yawn as she turned over in her aquarium print covered bed.

Stretching a little, Keiko read the message aloud as the other girls gathered around anxiously to hear the message. "It says..._Your first challenge will prove to have your "jaws" dropping. Be ready by 10a.m. sharp. Dress to impress in your best swimwear!"_ Biting her lip, Keiko studied the text message closely, narrowing her eyes.

"What's with that look?" Catherine questioned with widened eyes.

"Nothing, it's just...why was the word "jaws" in quotation marks?" Keiko sighed.

"It must be a clue to what our challenge is about." Ayame interjected.

"Maybe we're gonna play something like, who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouth and talk at the same time." Serena added. "What do they call that game again?" Serena scratched her blond meatball covered head. (A/N: No really, what's the game called, I forgot...something about bunnies :-/ Okay I'm throwing you off! Never mind, keep reading!)

"I don't know, but why would they say dress in swimwear? That must mean we're doing something in water." Pan commented as she scratched her chin.

"Well, I guess we're all just going to have to find out, then!" Botan perked. "Come on girls, we're going to show those boys what we're made of! Pink it up!" Botan shouted urging them to wear the girls' team colors.

"Right!" The girls cheered with a glow of confidence.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I really didn't know what to expect on our first challenge, but just being with the girls and feeling that sense of companionship, made it _that_ much easier to deal with.**

_**Meanwhile in White Shore...**_

"...Jaws, jaws, jaws. Man, why am I not liking the sound of that?" Yusuke paced the floor.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) There are two things in life that _really _disturb me. Toguro, and coded messages.**

"Forget about it man, I'm sure it's nothing." Vash sighed as he slipped on his blue t-shirt, representing the boys' team colors.

"Ooh no, that word wasn't in quotations for nothing!" Ed intercepted as he shook his blond head in heavy disagreement.

"Well, what do you think it means, brother?" Al questioned as he draped a royal-blue scarf around his tin neck.

"See that's the thing...I'm not really sure." Ed answered with a guilty grin.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I personally didn't care what the challenge was about. Just as long as we got it over with. Living with a bunch of humans is bad enough. But living with a bunch of humans who leave their wet towels on your freshly ironed blue jean shorts is probable cause for murder.**

"Perhaps we will be doing something involving our mouths..." Miroku began as he stroked his chin. "...and the girls..." His tone started getting dreamy as his mind began to paint vivid, and needless to say perverted pictures "...in water...wet..." An inappropriate chuckle escaped his smirking lips.

"_You,_ are _definitely_ not going to make it on this team." Android 17 added bitterly bringing Miroku out of his fantasies.

**Android 17: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) I really don't know what's up with that monk, but his infatuation with women doesn't really make me trust him.**

"What? It was a simple insinuation." Miroku responded pensively.

"Oh no." Trowa sighed.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha growled. "Get this through your thick, lecherous skull! The girls are the enemy! In order to get money, we have to beat them! So ass grabbing and groping, will have to wait until _after_ we win the money!"

"Girls, the enemy? Why I never..." Miroku trailed innocently.

"Let me help you out here my friend." Jet volunteered as he leaned his elbow on Miroku's left shoulder. "See in this hand we have women and all the sinful pleasures in between. And in this hand we have 50 grand...and all the sinful pleasures in between. Hmmm...?" Jet made weighing motions with his hands, obviously making the cash the heavier weight, causing the horny monk to get the picture.

"Ah, I see, so if I win the money, I will then be able to attract beautiful women with not only my charming good looks but my effervescent wealth as well." Miroku began as more dirty thoughts came to mind.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) This is how I see it, women plus money equals endless sexual gratification!**

"Y...yeah, whatever." Jet sighed.

"Well then, I say what are we waiting for? We have women to dominate! And that came out oh so sensually right, did it not?" Miroku cheered as he grabbed his white tee and blue shorts and trotted towards the bathroom, a bright grin plastered on his face.

"That guy, is hopeless." Koga breathed.

"That's for sure." Hige added. Wrinkling his nose toward the wolf demon he cocked his head to the side, slightly confused. "Hey man, what _are_ you?" He questioned.

"What do you mean, "what am I?"" Koga folded his arms.

"I mean, your scent...well, not to be rude or nothing but...you smell like a wolf." Hige scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"I _am_ a wolf." Koga answered grimly.

"WHAT!" All four wolves were shocked.

"How is that possible?" Kiba began. "You don't...well...I'm sensing something else about you, but I can't-"

"I'm a wolf demon...look it up." Koga scoffed as he marched off towards his room to gather his clothes.

"He's a wolf..." Toboe trailed.

"...demon?" Tsume finished for the pup.

"Damn, if I didn't believe the world was ending before..." Kiba sighed.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) A wolf and a demon. No wonder I can never find Paradise.**

"If you all are done with your childish antics, I'd very much like to proceed with this ridiculous challenge." Sesshomaru interrupted bitterly.

"Why are you even here?" Inuyasha grumbled. "I mean since when do you care about anything other than stealing my sword?"

"I don't see how that is any business of yours. But if you must know, I have my reasons and motivations." Sesshomaru retorted.

"Oh yeah, _what_ reasons and motivations? Whatever they are, they can't be good!" Inuyasha growled.

"Hn." Turning his back towards his younger sibling, Sesshomaru took his leave of the White Shore villa, walking with his usual majestic grace.

"The bastard, he's the only one here who refused to dress in modern human clothes!" Inuyasha huffed as he pulled his navy blue Tommy Hilfiger tee over his head.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I really don't know what the hell that guy is up to, but team or no team, I sure as hell ain't letting him within five feet of my sword!**

"Please, we really don't have room for quarrels and animosity on the team." Kurama played the role of mediator, as usual.

"Red's right, before ya know it, we're gonna start sounding like the chicks!" Duo added earning a wave of shivers and cringes to form amongst his other male teammates.

Finally ready to win their first mission, Yusuke immediately jumped to his feet, prepped to build the team's morale. "Alright guys, let's waste these chickadees!"

_**First Challenge: Dead man's Hang**_

"Good morning, and welcome to your first challenge!" Jonny Moseley greeted the competitors. They had met at the docks, proving their first assumption to be correct. They would be doing a water activity. "As you notice, you are now located at the Fernandina Beach Docks where one area has been closed off by buoys and nets."

"What is this, some kind of swimming contest?" Spike whispered in Jet's ear earning a shrug from the other.

"Before we begin with your first challenge, I'd first like to go over the rules of how the entire game is going to be played." Jonny began. "Each challenge will hold an individual team prize at stake. Whichever team wins the challenge, also wins the prize for their team. Also, each team will have their own inner circle, which will be a small group of four of the strongest team members. The inner circle will determine who will be eliminated as the weakest player from their own team, and who should receive this little guy for the other." Jonny then pulled out a chibi Kiba wolf plushie from his back pocket, generating a flow of chuckles to come from the crowd of competitors.

"Is that supposed to be cute?" Kiba questioned obviously not amused.

"Aw, look at his fluffy little tail." Blue teased, causing all of her female team members to giggle quite girlishly.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I personally didn't think it was funny.**

"Hey, what's it for anyway?" Hige questioned, trying his best to bite back a laugh as well.

"This is the Chibi Wolf Hero. This will be given to the winner of each challenge that can then be passed on to whomever the winner feels is in danger and whom they would like to save from elimination." Jonny explained earning a barrage of "Ah's" from the group. "Each team member from both sides will be competing to earn their own individual points as well, which will contribute to the team's total points. At the end of each challenge, your scores will be placed here on this scoreboard." Jonny continued as he brought the group's attention to a scoreboard with all of their names on it. "Eliminations will be after every challenge until we've reached the final three. The game then progresses to the final challenge with three members from each team competing against one another." Jonny explained. "Now, that we have the technicalities clear, I will now introduce you to your first challenge."

With that said, all of the contestants then saw a large tank ascend over the buoy enclosed area. However, what was more important was what they found inside the tank. It had to have been the biggest fish if they had ever seen one. Slowly, it was released into the guarded area, which also had what appeared to be pull-up bars suspended over it.

"What the hell?" Duo gasped.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your first challenge, _Dead Man's Hang._ Within the buoy enclosed area of the harbor, we have our good friend Tiger, who has so conveniently skipped breakfast this morning!" Jonny introduced the group to the hungry Great White shark with an inappropriate calmness in his voice. "If you would please shift your attention on the hang-bars that are suspended directly above the area in which Tiger is being held. In this challenge, contestants will compete two at a time, men against the women of course, to hang by these bars upside down. The team with the least mauled members wins!" Jonny finished brightly.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Ah, so _that's _why the word _jaws_ was in quotation marks! Personally I think the producers are really BLEEPed in the head!**

"Are you kidding me?" Sally protested.

"Injustice!" Wufei shouted.

"Oh come on, this is a danger to our well-being!" Yusuke began. "We're not invincible ya know!"

"Please, you're anime characters, of _course_ you're invincible." Jonny stated flatly. "Besides, we've checked in with each and every one of your creators and they stated as follows: _Being that my characters are animated, any physical harm done to them (and their clothing) should miraculously heal by the next three to five takes of your show. Sincerely, Yoshihiro Togashi, Keiko Nobumoto, Akira Toriyama, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Rumiko Takahashi, Hajime Yatate..._Oh damn, screw this! All of your creators guys!" Jonny sighed. (A/N: My lazy way of doing a disclaimer since I forgot to do one at the beginning of this chapter. Lame. I know. -_-)

"Are you nuts?" Ryoko started. "You can't just dangle us over shark infested water!"

"This _can't_ be legal!" Cagalli shouted.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) Apparently there were many on both teams who disagreed with the terms of the challenge. Which is understandable, after all, our lives were at stake.**

"And putting kids under the age of eighteen into the throws of war isn't legal either, but you guys seemed to do alright." Jonny regarded the gundam pilots. "Besides, whichever team wins this challenge will receive a ten thousand dollar gift certificate to any _Gap_ owned store. That includes, _Gap_, of course, _Old Navy_, and _Banana Republic_." Johnny explained.

"Oh my god! Are you serious!" Flay exclaimed as her eyes lit up immediately.

**Flay: Gundam Seed (Gals) I'm a complete shopaholic! You could make me dine with the lions for all I care. If shopping is at stake, I'll totally do it!**

"As a heart attack, which I'm hoping none of you have during this challenge." Jonny stated.

"Girls, we HAVE to win!" Bra shouted.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Clothes! Clothes! Clothes! Clothes! CLOTHES!**

"Totally!" Her female teammates agreed in unison.

"This is bull BLEEP!" Tsume griped. "Even if we do win, not like we can _use_ the damn gift certificate!" Tsume regarded his fellow wolf pack.

"I'm sure you guys could fit into some _Baby Gap_ shirts." Yusuke interjected. "But I do have to agree that the prize is bull BLEEP! Hello, NBA Playoffs tickets maybe?" Yusuke protested earning a bunch of "Yeah's" and "This isn't fair's" from his other male teammates.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) This is what happens when you're forced to accommodate the needs of women. The needs of men get cast away into the landfills of life!**

"Yeeeah, anyway..." Jonny began. "Let's start off with the first two challengers, and according to the scoreboard, it looks like we have...Dearka and Miriallia...how cliché. Just don't start making out you two!" Jonny teased.

"Ew!" Miriallia grimaced. "We are _just friends_! We do _not_ like each other that way!"

"Yeah, whoever made up that fan-based rumor, really needs to let me in on whatever they're smoking!"

"Alright, you guys ready?" Jonny called to the two competitors who sat upon the pull-up bars, clad in their swimwear. Dearka in navy blue trunks, and Milly in a soft pink bikini. The looks on their faces completely priceless.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) So here I am, suspended over water infested with a shark the size of Montana! Mir's giving me the look of a thousand deaths, and my trunks were bunching. Man, what people won't do for a ten thousand dollar gift certificate to any _Gap _store in the world. That was sarcasm by the way.**

"Alright at the sound of my horn you guys are going to lean back dangling yourselves from your bars supported only by your legs!" Jonny shouted. "Remember, if you fall, you still have a chance to win by swimming to the safety pole to your left and climbing _back _to your pull-up bars!" He continued. "Remember, you only lose the challenge if Tiger here decides to do a taste test!" He explained. "Each minute is worth ten points, but if you fall off, that's minus five points. You get bit, you're out keeping whatever time you have!" He added as he raised his horn.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) The whole time Jonny was explaining the directions, I could already feel my legs beginning to cramp up from just sitting on top of the pull up bars. **

"Alright ready...GO!" Jonny shouted as he sounded his horn, urging both players to lean back and start the challenge. "Remember, you can't use your arms, only your legs!"

"Come on Miriallia!" Pan cheered on her teammate.

"Yeah, Dearka! Let's leave these chicks in the dust!" Yzak shouted.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Okay, we're hanging there, and I don't know if you know this but hanging upside down...by your legs...on a pull up bar...not only hurts like a bitch, but then you've got this eighty foot live shark circling the water beneath you. And I don't know if it was the blood rushing to my brain, but I could've sworn he spoke to me!**

"Dearka..." A gurgling voice sounded from beneath the blond-haired gundam pilot.

Opening his eyes, he looked below only to find Tiger the shark winking at him with one black pearly eye.

"What the..." Dearka trailed.

"Oh hon, no worries! I'm not gonna eat ya. Gotta watch my diet!" The shark spoke in a most unfitting tone. Instead of the booming more intimidating voice one would expect from such a large creature, one instead got...Jack from _Will and Grace._

"Wha..." Dearka was shocked.

"By the way I'm Tigre. That's T-I-G-_R-_E. It's French." He explained with a lisp and quite an effeminate giggle.

"Huh?" Dearka started.

"Look, I don't want to distract you from winning your little game, but I just thought I should let you know that even though ass crack is in nowadays...God knows why...I usually like dinner and a good swim before getting to know my man's ass crack if you know what I'm saying." Tigre giggled as he batted his eyelashes towards Dearka, causing him to tug on his swim trunks.

"Oh snap!" Losing his balance, Dearka then crashed to the water below, releasing a rather sissy scream on the way down.

"Damn." Heero sighed.

"Is he alright?" Quatre questioned with a most worried expression.

"Ahh, get 'em off me! Oh BLEEP! Get this freak off me!" Dearka screamed as he swam to the docks, forfeiting the challenge. His trunks rather mangled and torn, he immediately retreated to his other male teammates.

"Dearka!" Athrun caught the trembling boy in his arms.

"I-I saw things. Horrible, horrible things!" Dearka shivered.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Being harassed by a transvestite on the wrong side of town is one thing. But having your swim trunks ripped apart by a gay shark who calls you his "sweet piece of human ass" is emotionally traumatizing. I'm never gonna be the same, man. SNIFFS Can you guys just...give me a minute?**

"Alright for the first round, winners...ladies!" Jonny announced earning a mouthful of cheers from the girls team.

From that point on, all of the guys were dropping like flies...literally. Each of them coming back with quite shell-shocked expressions on their faces. Even Sesshomaru had went off into isolation for the rest of the day after the first challenge. The girls had whipped the guys like cream, ending up with a total score of 1,160 for the girls, and 870 for the guys.

"Alright, that was quite an interesting game. Winner of _Dead Man's Hang_...the girls!" Jonny announced. "Chibi Wolf Hero recipient...Keiko!" Jonny continued, followed by a cheery Keiko trotting next to him.

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) I personally don't think that the challenge was fair. I mean _Tigre_ wasn't hitting on the girls.**

"And now for you guys to get introduced to your inner circles." Jonny began. "First, inner circle for the ladies' team...Keiko, Lacus, Faye, and Kagome." Jonny announced.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) I don't know if it was just me, but today's challenge seemed really easy to win. I mean, it was almost as if the guys weren't even trying.**

"And for the guys we have...Yusuke, Kiba, Inuyasha, and Kira. Hmm, anybody else noticing a pattern here?" Jonny mused.

"Yeah!" Android 18 began. "They're all the stars of their own shows! That is _so_ not fair!"

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Hey we can't help it if we're beautiful, powerful, and invulnerable to character death. And, I feel that the rest of the team just needs to get used to that.**

"Okay, new inner circle members, get together and determine who gets to go home this first round. Break!" Jonny instructed, to which each inner circle followed.

"_I_ should've been a member of the inner circle." Kagura griped as she followed her teammates out.

"Well for one thing, you're evil." Hilde began. "Secondly, you didn't make it to the top four. Oh, and we can't forget...YOU'RE EVIL!"

"I just hope that whatever decision they make will be the right one." Relena sighed.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) I knew that I had the lowest score on my team, so if I was going to be sent home, I would leave knowing that my team was in good hands because, they made clear, concise, and fair decisions.**

_**Guys' Inner Circle Meeting...**_

"Okay, so who are we gonna eliminate?" Inuyasha sighed.

"I think it's only fair to eliminate the person with the lowest score." Kira added.

"Right, that way, no one gets disappointed, and our team will strive for the best." Kiba tailed.

"Yeah, so incidents like today won't happen again." Yusuke finished, earning a good moment of disturbing silence to fall upon the meeting.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) ...Yeah...umm...today...sucked...I'm mean not _sucked_ but...blowed...not _blowed _blowed, but...today was a bad day...and...umm...hey can you cut the camera off...just...ah BLEEP this. WALKS AWAY FROM CONFESSIONAL CAMERA**

"So, yeah...umm, who had the lowest score?" Kira broke the silence.

"Ooh, Jet." Inuyasha made a hissing noise with his teeth as if the mere thought of losing Jet pained him.

"Man, good guy. Hate to see him go!" Yusuke pouted.

"Yeah." Kiba sighed a brief moment of silence passed.

"Ah well! Ya win some, ya lose some!" Inuyasha breathed as he kicked back his feet, placing his hands behind his head.

"So sad." Yusuke sighed.

"Yeah." Kiba added.

_**Girls' Inner Circle Meeting...**_

"So who do we want around the least? Hmm?" Faye began slowly.

"Faye, it's not about who we want around the least. That in every aspect is most unfair." Lacus intercepted.

"She's right, if we make decisions based on personal satisfaction, then what does that say about us?" Keiko added.

"Exactly." Kagome agreed.

"Alright then, seeing that Relena is at the bottom of the list and _KAGURA _and _DOROTHY_ are mere stepping stones ahead of her, then I guess we'll just have to send poor, sweet little Miss Relena home then." Faye said with mock innocence.

"No, not Relena." Lacus sighed.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) I really like Relena, and well Kagura's evil. I was _not_ about to send Relena home, while letting Kagura stay. I mean, that's like, just not fair.**

"I know, she is just _too_ nice. I'd never forgive myself for letting Kagura stay while sending Relena home." Kagome huffed causing a knowing smirk to spread across Faye's lips.

"Right then." Keiko confirmed.

_**Eliminations...**_

"Alright have both team inner circles come to a final decision?" Jonny questioned.

"Yep, speaking for the guys' team..." Yusuke began. "We've decided to let Jet go based on him having the lowest score."

"Understandable fellas." Jet sighed.

"Sorry man." Kira breathed.

"Nope, you made the right choice." Jet assured.

**Jet: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) I couldn't get mad at the guys for the decision that they made. And besides, I had planned to have a nice _seafood_ dinner before I left anyway. Hmm, I wonder what shark meat tastes like.**

"We'll miss you man." Goten sighed as he gave Jet a hearty handshake goodbye.

"Damn it Jet!" Spike griped.

"Hey, don't go whining on me now. You just be sure to win that money, ya hear?" Jet encouraged.

"Yeah, yeah." Spike sighed.

"Okay, for the girls' team. Have you come to a final decision on the Chibi Wolf Hero recipient and elimination?" Jonny asked.

"Yes, we have." Keiko began. "The team has decided to keep the Wolf Hero, and let go...Kagura." Keiko announced.

"WHAT?" Kagura shouted angrily. "This isn't fair, I had a higher score than Relena!"

"Sorry, majority rules. Buh bye!" Kagome waved to the demon incarnation.

"Ugh, this is disgusting!" Kagura began to storm off. "All I have to say is this team is ugly, this game is ugly, and I'd feel better if I were never a part of it to begin with!" And after her moping speech she was soon gone and headed for her van.

**Kagura: Inuyasha (Gals) It's obvious this is all just one big popularity contest! Sure hope no one else get's on their bad side. All I can say is bye bitches, and good riddance! **

"Alrighty then, it was a good challenge today, and I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow." Jonny said as he and the competitors all went into their specific destinations.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) Can't say that I'm not glad Relena didn't get sent home, but the girls don't seem that good at making logical decisions. I mean, they just eliminated one of their strongest players. Not very smart.**

_**Second meeting at Starfish...**_

"...I'm just saying let's not turn this into a popularity contest!" Winry groaned.

"Look, you're not a part of the inner circle sweetheart!" Faye pointed.

"I didn't say that I was. It's just that I don't think that what you guys decided on was very fair! I mean, we didn't even give Kagura a chance!" Winry shot back.

"Are you kidding me? The _last _thing that bitch needed was a chance!" Faye shouted.

"Oh come on you didn't even know her!" Blue added.

"We didn't _need_ to know her to _know_ that she was trouble!" Faye retorted.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) The rest of the girls were going on and on about how Kagura got the short end of the stick. Does it make me a bitch to say that I don't care that she's gone either. Her demonic aura was suffocating.**

"Come on girls, it's too late now. She's already gone, let's just move on." Yukina interjected.

"Just move on?" Dorothy began. "If they're making decisions based on who they like the most, then I might as well not even try right?" Dorothy spat.

"Dorothy, that's not true." Catherine tried to encourage the other girl.

"Isn't it?" She cried.

"No, not at all." Botan tried to calm her.

"Look, what's done is done. If that's how they're going to play it then so be it! No sense in whining about it all damn night!" Ryoko shouted earning a load of yells and screams to come from the others.

"This One's ear's are starting to hurt." Cheza sighed as she shielded them from the annoying sounds of confrontation.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Great, I'm surrounded by a bunch of severely PMSing females! Every Space Pirate's dream!**

The arguing continued for hours. One had to wonder for a moment...do girls ever get enough?

_**Second meeting at White Shore...**_

"Hn. They're at it again." Hiei huffed.

"How can something so beautiful be so angry?" Miroku pondered.

"One of the universe's most unsolved mysteries." Duo added.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Man, what the hell is with a female's fascination in verbal brawls? I wouldn't be surprised if a chick, after winning an argument, got a teeny tiny little orgasm afterwards.**

"Ugh, will someone make it stop?" Kuwabara groaned from the floor as he put a pillow over his head.

"I know! Even though we lost brutally today, let's get out of the house!" Yusuke suggested.

"Oh yeah, anyone up for hitting the nearest club?" Duo wasn't surprised in the least when all of the guys raised their hands. Even the wolves volunteered to participate in a night of club jumping. "Sweet! Let's blow this joint!"

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) So yeah we all got ready and hit up this hot club on the strip. See, even though we lost, guys can still put all that negative energy into something more useful. Like skanks with low self-esteem!**

And so the guys partied the night away, scamming on women with loose morals and getting plastered. Each danced with their own club skank to the "grinding" beats of "Grind on Me by Prettie Rickie and the Maverix." Though the wolves were quite uncomfortable from being "ground upon" by an oblivious human female, between the girls arguing next door, and _Tigre_ the shark, they were dealing. The girls however, if one can actually believe it, argued themselves to sleep. It was quite a sight to walk in and see a bunch of soundly sleeping girls, with their hands stuck in the forms of finger pointing and fist balls. But at least they were getting their much needed sleep, for the next challenge for these Anime Stars would prove to be rather tiring.

A/N: Man, this shit is so retarded! LOL! Yeah but anyways...not much to say about this chapter except for the fact that, it's just fun to write, and hopefully fun for you guys to read. Some really weird stuff is gonna go down in later chapters. Hope you can handle it. Then again, if you can handle a gay shark trying to get a "taste" of the guys' "goodies" (I quoted Ciara...nice), then you can handle just about ANYTHING! Bye for now!

*Edited for grammar, spelling and minor content 06/13/2011


	3. To Hurl or Not to Hurl

A/N: _Ohhhhhhhhhhh. Oohhhhoohyeaaah, heeeeeeeey. Baby grind on me, relax your mind take your time on me, let me get deeper shorty ride on me, now come and sex me til your body gets weak, we're slow grindin.'_ Hehe, I got that song on my mind lately. Don't know why. Hmm, maybe because they play it on the radio every...single...damn...frickin...DAY! I mean my GOD, I've even been brought to put it in my fic! It's like hypnotic man! Oh well, sorry for the wait you guys. Anyway...moving on...let's start the fic shall we?

P.S: There's a surprise guest in the fic by the way...see if you can find them ;-). And remember, confessionals are in bold print!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a damn thing!

**Song Disclaimer: **"Hollaback Girl" lyrics ownership of Gwen Stefani.

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 3: To Hurl or Not to Hurl**

_**Early in the Morning in Starfish...**_

The sun rose to gently greet day four of the Anime Stars' stay in Daytona Beach, Florida. The girls woke up refreshed and ready for whatever the producers of MTV's Anime Star Challenge had to throw at them.

**Ayame: Inuyasha (Gals) Man, funny how a good argument can leave you energized and refreshed in the morning. It's like...warm milk, really.**

"Has anyone seen my hair ties?" Ayame called to her roommates. Yes the morning was going quite smoothly for the ladies. Nothing holding them back, and no one holding them down. The guys however...

_**A Rather Crappy Morning in White Shore...**_

"Ah, dammit! My head!" Kuwabara groaned as he rose from his place on the floor. Still dressed in his clothes from the night before, he sat on his knees and began to gently massage his throbbing noggin.

"I warned you not to drink so much Kuwabara." Kurama sighed as he entered into the living area.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) My, what a terrible sight to see first thing in the morning. Half of my fellow teammates were suffering horribly from hang overs. I did warn them not to over intoxicate themselves.**

"Hmph, humans. Always acting before they think!" Tsume huffed.

"Oh man, do you have to yell so loud?" Hige moaned as he stumbled across the living area holding his head.

"Hige!" Toboe called in concern.

"Hige?" Kiba gasped.

"No, I'm a talking plushie...yeah it's me." Hige groaned.

"Don't tell me..." Tsume trailed.

"Okay..." Hige slurred hoarsely as he rested his forehead on the cool screen of the inactive television. "Ah, much better." He sighed in relief.

"Wow, is it even possible for a wolf to get drunk?" Ed questioned as he scratched his head.

"Apparently." Al answered.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) I don't get it...how did he...well, you know...drink it without opposable thumbs? Wierd.**

"Hige, how in the world did you manage to..." Athrun trailed and instead proceeded to make drinking motions with his hand.

"That girl! Oh, dammit...that stupid girl!" Hige groaned as his voice sounded muffled against the television.

"You mean the one that kept pulling on your collar when you were dancing?" Android 17 questioned flatly.

"Yeah...her...she was pouring it for me...I thought it tasted kinda funny...and then everything's pretty much a blur from there." Hige sighed.

"Blue is definitely not going to appreciate you dumping her for some human!" Tsume teased.

"Ha, ha...very funny. But I'm not into the whole inner-species thing!" Hige moaned.

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) That's just gross! I was only dancing with her because I was bored! **

"Well, I think we should at least do a head count and see who's _not _hung over." Yusuke slurred as he massaged his temples. "Everybody here?" Yusuke looked around the room and noticed that everyone was present except for..."Wait a minute. Where's Hiei?"

On the second floor within the Fire Demon and Kurama's darkened room rested a figure beneath the dark blue sheets of Hiei's bed. There was movement, and not moments later did Hiei's dishelved head rise from the rumpled bed sheets. Swinging his legs over to the other side, he rested his elbows on his knees and let out a slight groan at the sight of him still being dressed in last night's garb. Suddenly, he felt the bed move, causing his eyes to widen. Not long before his mind could register that he was not alone did a purple haired girl pop up wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders.

"Morning sweetie! Ya have fun last night?" The girl chirped.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ...Damn it.**

_**Slow Morning in Starfish...**_

The girls were all dressed and chatting up the morning hours, waiting for that moment when they would finally be notified of their next challenge.

"I wonder, just how _will_ we beat those boys today?" Aeka sighed as she stretched out on the sea green chaisse lounge in her pink crewneck and shorts.

"Just waiting on that special call." Julia chimed as she tied the back strings to her red summer tank.

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) It was taking very long for them to give us the message, and at this point it was almost eleven in the morning. We're all thinking, did they over sleep or what's going on, you know?**

"Do these shorts make my butt look big?" Bra questioned as she turned her neck in order to get a good view of her rear.

"No, but that bikini top really brings out your boobs." Hilde added as she tightened the strings to her white Capris.

"Thanks." Bra perked.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) You know, sometimes Bra can be a little narcissistic. But she's still cool. I guess.**

Just then, they heard an urgent banging at their front door, causing them to jump.

"Who in the world...?" Leara gasped.

"Pan, go see who it is." Relena ordered.

"What? Why me?" Pan sulked.

"Because, you have super-human strength! Go!" Relena pressed.

"I'm not going! I _was_ going to go, but since you told me to go, it's going to seem like I only went because _you _said so! And let me tell you something...I'm no push over!" Pan barked as she put on her cherished orange bandana.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Hmph...tell me what to do. Who does she think she is, Queen of the World?**

"Well someone has to go!" Dorothy interjected, unfortunately not earning any volunteers.

"Oh for crying out loud, _I'll_ go!" Android 18 huffed as she headed for the door.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Here we are negotiating who gets to open the stupid door! If we win this game with this sort of attitude, it'll definitely be a miracle!**

Finally opening the door, Android 18 was shocked at who rushed inside.

"Johnny?" Android 18 breathed.

"What the hell, girls!" Johnny panted.

The girls were rather confused as to Johnny's panicked expression. They all quickly crowded the door to see what was up.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Johnny scared us all half to death when he stormed in the room. We thought that someone had died, we didn't know what to think!**

"Why...do you girls...have your phone...turned off?" Johnny puffed.

"What?" Kagome shouted. "It's not off...is it?"

"Uh, girls..." Yukina trailed as she held up the house's Nokia cell phone which had been powered off.

"Uh oh." Botan sighed.

"What is going on?" Johnny was rather disappointed.

"Well, I certainly didn't cut it off!" Meryl stated.

"None of us did! Honest, we don't know how that happened!" Keiko defended.

"Look everyone!" Yukina guided. It was then that they had discovered that the phone's charger had somehow got unplugged.

"Okay, who's responsible for keeping the cell phone charged?" Johnny questioned to which everyone answered "Serena!"

"Oops." Serena backed.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) I sure hope this little mishap won't motivate the inner circle to send me packing during eliminations. Hehehehe...umm...GULP**

"Ah Jeez! Come on girls, you're late for your next challenge!" Johnny instructed as he and the rest of the girls headed out of the villa for the next challenge.

_**Second Challenge: To Hurl or Not to Hurl**_

"Oh look, the prima donnas finally made it!" Android 17 mocked as he waited in the tree shaded park area with his fellow teammates.

"What happened ladies, did you have to meet with a detective about cosmetic theft?" Spike added earning a flow of manly chuckles from the guys.

"Oh shove it Spike!" Faye retorted.

"Ooh..." Spike sucked in a breath while making cat noises, generating Faye to hiss and make clawing motions with her hands.

"Hold on fellas, someone's missing from your team." Johnny observed.

"Yeah, umm...Hiei's a little..."Yusuke trailed. It was then that the small Fire Demon trotted his way to the challenge site. A purple-haired girl following quickly behind.

"Wait Hiei!" The girl cried.

"Leave me be you baka onna!" Hiei shouted as he mixed into the crowd of his male teammates, out of sight.

"Hey Hiei, who's the girl?" Ryoko teased.

"I'm Sachiya! And Hiei is MINE!" Sachiya exclaimed. (A/N: Okay Sachiya, ya happy now! You're in my fic! And by golly gee wiz you're a Hiei Stalker! Ain't love grand?)

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Ah, that hot chick that Hiei was dancing with last night at the club. HAHA I knew they'd hit it off!**

"I belong to no one!" Hiei shouted from the crowd of his teammates in which Sachiya was digging through to find her sweet Hiei.

"But Hiei, last night you said I was your cute little snuggle bunny!" Sachiya pouted causing everyone to laugh uncontrollably.

"I said no such thing!" Hiei growled as he gripped his cranium. All of this confusion was really bad for his hang over.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) HAHAHAHAHAHA Sn-snug-snuggle bunny! HAHAHAHAHA Ooh, now that's a side splitter! HAHAHAHA**

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) You know, there are many words that I can imagine Hiei saying. However, _snuggle bunny_ is definitely _not_ one of them.**

"Umm, Sachiya." Johnny started.

"Yep!" Sachiya retreated from her digging and turned to face Johnny.

"We're kind of in the middle of a game here." Johnny explained slowly.

"Ooh, games! I love games! Are there prizes? Can I be on Hiei's team?" Sachiya perked.

"Uh, no, it's uh...it's an inside game, and yes there are prizes." Johnny continued quite confused and a little scared from the girl's sudden appearance.

"Ooh goody! Prizes! What kind of prizes?" Sachiya stepped to Johnny.

"Erm, well...listen, come here for a sec." Johnny motioned for Sachiya to come closer as he began to whisper in her ear the instructions.

"FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!" Sachiya shouted suddenly urging Johnny to bring her back to him and continue to whisper the instructions to her.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Don't tell me that Johnny was going to put her in the game. She's so hyper she might forget she was on our team and help the guys win, just for her shrimpy obsession! **

"Oh wow! Are you serious?" Sachiya chirped.

"Yep. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to our new game assistant hostess, Sachiya!" Johnny announced earning a barrage of lazy "Yays" and "Can we start yets" from the contestants. "Alright Sachiya, as my assistant hostess, you get to post the scores on the scoreboard!"

"Yay!" Sachiya cheered as her bright purple eyes lit up.

"She _cannot_ stay!" Hiei protested.

"She has to, the producers are actually fearful for their lives if they deny her the privilege." Johnny stated flatly.

"Now Hiei and I can be together forever, and ever, and ever, and ever..." Sachiya smiled as she trotted over to the scoreboard. "...and ever, and ever, and ever..."

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ..._Damn _it!**

"Alright ladies and gentlemen as you can see, you have all been brought to the park, the perfect place for pranksters. We here at MTV have our own little prank to play, and guess who our targets are...you guys!" Johnny teased as he pointed at the contestants.

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) MTV and pranks. Bad combination.**

"Centered here in front of you is a table with cups that have been filled with Coke." Johnny began.

"Umm, excuse me!" Fllay raised her hand as if to be in school.

"Yes, Fllay." Johnny answered.

"Is that _Diet_ Coke?" Fllay questioned.

"Nnno. It's regular." Johnny answered flatly.

"Damn it!" Fllay griped.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) That is _so_ going to go straight to my ass!**

"Oh no worries Fllay. You see, as I said before MTV has a prank to pull. Here's what you have to do. A member from each team will compete one on one in drinking one cup of Coke." Johnny explained.

"That sounds easy." Cagalli added.

"Oh but there's a catch." Johnny smiled.

"Of course there is." Blue added flatly.

"Each and every one of these glasses has been spiked with a dime size amount of Epicac Syrup. Which is why this challenge has so appropriately been named _To Hurl or Not to Hurl_." Johnny stated earning a barrage of groans to emerge from the contestants. Most of which came from the guys' team.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) This. Is. Not. Good.**

**Trowa: Gundam Wing (Guys) Half of our team, is suffering from being severely hung over. Odds of winning for us looking rather thin here.**

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad...**

"In this challenge, each team member will be timed on how long they can last without vomiting. The first person to vomit loses that round for their team. But, however long you last earns you personal points." Johnny informed. "Each minute is worth twenty points." He continued. "The winner of this challenge will recieve the Chibi Wolf Hero for their team, and an _IPod_ for each member of your team." Johnny was relieved that no one seemed to be disappointed with the challenge prize. "If you vomit before a minute passes, you're disqualified and the other team automatically wins that round. Oh and when you hurl, do it in the trash cans on each side of the table."

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) Petty. The others were filled with fear and doubt that they would fail this mission. Their own fault for acting so rashly the previous night. Fools.**

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) Phew! What a relief to know that I didn't have to digest this stuff! Well...not that I'm anorexic or anything like that! That's ridiculous, I'm just...very watchful about my figure. CLEARS THROAT**

"Alright, Sachiya you got the names set up on the board?" Johnny called to his new assistant.

"Yep!" Sachiya gave him a thumbs up.

"Okay, then who's up first?" Johnny questioned with a smile.

"Umm, Cheza and...Kurama!" Sachiya announced.

"Okay, Cheza and Kurama, you're up!" Johnny relayed as both contestants approached the table.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Being the plant expert that I am, it didn't take long for me to realize what I was up against. It was then that I realized, she did in fact have the upper hand. A plant's digestive system is quite more complex and sophisticated than a human's. But I had to try.**

"Alright, you guys ready?" Johnny began causing both competitors to nod. "Ready, drink!" On his call both Cheza and Kurama quickly gulped the contents of their cups.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) This one did not like the taste of the drink. However, it didn't cause this one to feel sick in any way. But poor Kurama, after three minutes...**

He couldn't hold it any longer as he purged and released all that he had into the nearby trash can. He could hear the groans of disappointment from his teammates. And he knew they were scared for themselves.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) Man, this was bad! If Kurama lost it in three minutes, the rest of us knew we were finished!**

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Well, I did try.**

"Winner for the first round, ladies!" Johnny announced causing the girls to cheer. "Cheza you don't feel sick at all?" Johnny asked in disbelief.

"No, this one does not feel sick." Cheza smiled as she ventured towards the rest of her team.

"Okay then, Sachiya, who do we have up next?" Johnny called.

"Wufei and Sango!" Sachiya replied urging both Wufei and Sango to step forward.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) Now, I for one was not hung over like many of my other comrades. But I did overdue it with the Calamarie.**

"Alright guys, get ready!" Johnny started.

"Where's your manly banter, Wufei?" Sango taunted. To her surprise, however, Wufei remained silent.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) It was about time for that manly man to get put in _his_ place! And who better than to do it than a woman? And what better woman to do it other than me?**

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) My stomach had been acting up all morning. I had already claimed defeat before I had even begun. I knew Sango held the victory.**

"Drink!" Johnny ordered. He was shocked however that no more than ten seconds after Wufei swallowed his drink did he proceed with the next step which was to barf his brains out. Unfortunately missing the trash and showering poor Sango. "Whoa."

"Ah BLEEP Wufei! UGH!" Sango was so disgusted, she immediately ran away from the challenge site headed for the ocean to get a much needed rinse.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) GROSS!**

He couldn't stop vomiting. He crouched over on all fours and continued to regurgitate what seemed to be a life's worth of food.

"Ick." Johnny grimaced.

"Ew!" Sachiya winced.

Wufei's purging seemed to be contagious, for not too long was it that many of his hang over suffering teammates followed behind, turning the challenge into exactly what it was meant to be...a barf fest!

"Oh my GOD!" Miriallia shouted as she and her other female team members ran as far away from the scene as possible.

"Foolish mortals! Who got their filth on my robes?" Sesshomaru growled as he, the three wolves, and Hiei retreated as well.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) It's rather difficult to get vomit out of fabric. _And _I'm all out of _Spray n' Wash_! Ugh! I'll be in the laundry room until daybreak! Scrubbing, and rinsing, and...Wait...are you recording this? Give me the tape. Give. Me. The tape. Give me the tape! RISES OUT OF HIS SEAT AND SNATCHES CAMERA. SCREEN GOES BLACK.**

"Oh damn it...CLEAN UP!" Johnny shouted for the clean up crew, who hurriedly made their way onto the scene and began to do their job. "Oh man, this is ridiculous...go to a commercial!"

_Are you depressed? _(Insert wierd blob thingy with dots for eyes here) _Do you feel as if you don't belong? Are you constantly burdened with a feeling of anxiety, and worthlessness? You don't have to feel this way anymore. There is a solution. It's name...Weed. Otherwise known as dope, pot, marijuana, and grass. Just one puff, and you'll be taken to a world of peace, joy, and happiness. _(Insert stoned wierd thingy blob with dots for eyes here).

_"Man, how did I ever live without Weed? Weed, you're my very bestest friend in the whole world! I love you. Will you marry me?"_

_Warning: Certain side effects may include brief hallucinations, uncontrollable laughter, misplaced affection which could either result in a rather disturbing relationship with a gay shark or waking up next to a purple-haired girl in your bed who constantly follows you around calling you her snuggle bunny._

_Weed, you'll never know how you lived without it._

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming. (A/N: I don't know why I put that in there. I think it's because I desperately needed filler. Whatever!)

"Alright, winner of _To Hurl or Not to Hurl_ and a free _IPod_ for every member on their team...ladies!" Johnny announced causing an uproar of cheers to come from the girls team. "Chibi Wolf Hero recipient...Cheza!" Cheza then walked up to recieve her reward. "So Sachiya, how's our scoreboard looking?"

"Well Johnny, for the boys team we have a lovely total score of 930. And for the ladies we have a total score of 1240." Sachiya informed in her best hostess voice.

"Thank you Sachiya. It's quite unfortunate that we had to cut the challenge short due to some, digestive issues, but at least each team got something." Johnny sighed.

"Nice job Wufei!" Kuwabara griped.

"I told him to stay away from the Calamarie." Athrun sighed.

**Athurn: Gundam Seed (Guys) Some people never learn.**

"Well, inner circles you know the drill." Johnny noted as everyone went there separate ways to prepare for the elimination round.

**Quatre: Gundam Wing (Guys) I'm looking at the scoreboard, and I'm not liking what I see. Really not fair...I didn't even puke!**

_**Boys Inner Circle Meeting...**_

"Oh...my stomach." Kira groaned.

"Just tell us who's on the bottom of the list so we can get on with it!" Inuyasha grumbled.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) It really was too bad that we didn't get a chance to finish the challenge. Maybe then we could have actually had a chance to boost our scores. Unfortunately, the only one of us who got points today was Kurama. **

"I don't even think they should count today's challenge, seeing that not everybody got a chance to go." Kiba stated.

"Oh well. Let's just forget it. Who's it gonna be?" Yusuke sighed.

"Quatre." Kira informed.

"Poor little guy didn't even get a chance." Yusuke shook his head in disappointment.

"He wasn't hung over either." Kiba added as a brief moment of silence soon followed.

"This just sucks." Kira griped.

_**Girls Inner Circle Meeting...**_

"Okay, I think that we should just play it fair this time around." Keiko began.

"Right, I don't feel like hearing their mouths tonight, really." Kagome sighed.

"Alright then, who has the lowest score?" Lacus added.

"Oh damn it." Faye growled.

_**Eliminations...**_

"Alright have both inner circles come to a final decision?" Johnny questioned.

"Yeah, Quatre...sorry man." Yusuke announced.

"It's alright, I expected this." Quatre sighed as he said his good-byes to his fellow teammates.

"Ah man Quatre, we sure are gonna miss you!" Duo pouted.

"We'll see each other again I'm sure." Quatre smiled.

**Quatre: Gundam Wing (Guys) ...This is bullcrap! I didn't even get a chance! Then again, it's not like I really _need_ fifty thousand dollars being that I'm filthy rich and all, but the games were fun...wait, on second thought, leaving may not be such a bad idea. I mean who know's what else the producers have in store for those guys.**

"Alright, ladies, you're up!" Johnny started.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) I knew it was the end. Oh woe is me!**

"Unfortunately, and we hate to see her go because she's as sweet as candy but, Relena..." Kagome trailed.

"It's alright. I understand." Relena sighed.

"Before we proceed further, Cheza, how do you wish to use the Chibi Wolf Hero?" Johnny intercepted.

"This one, would like to give the Chibi Wolf Hero to Relena." Cheza smiled.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) WHAT?**

"What! Oh Cheza, you're too kind!" Relena embraced the small Flower Maiden. "Oh, fertilizer on me...how's that sound?"

"Relena, this one cannot breathe." Cheza strained.

"Stop hurting Cheza!" Kiba shouted as he pounced on Relena knocking her to the ground. Almost immediately he began to rip at her clothing with his teeth, shredding her pink tank and skirt to almost nothing.

"Ah! Get off of me!" Relena screamed.

"Oh crap, Kiba what are you doing man!" Hige shouted as he and everyone gawked at the struggling individuals on the ground.

"Hey get off of her!" Heero jumped in, but suddenly stopped once he realized what exactly Kiba was doing.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) Now, my intentions at first were to save Relena from being mauled to death, of course. But that's when I noticed...**

"Oh my." Miroku slurred in his most perverted tone at what was being displayed before him.

"Ah! Oh no!" Relena screamed. "Why aren't you helping me?" She yelled.

"Whoa, this is hot." Vash smirked to his male team members who all nodded in agreement.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I had two options, either one...kill her, or two...EVIL SMIRK**

"Oh no, Relena!" Hilde gasped as she put her hands over her mouth.

Kiba had quickly stopped his assaults as he trotted back over to his team, quite pleased with himself. Relena however was completely the opposite as she looked around to witness every piece of her clothing sprawled about the ground. That's right..._every_ article of clothing.

"Uh oh." Winry swallowed hard.

"HA HA, Relena! You're all naked!" Sachiya laughed and pointed, causing the guys to laugh hysterically and the girls to shield their friend from utter humiliation.

"Oh come on what is this, high school!" Meryl yelled as she draped her blue jean jacket over Relena's bare shoulders.

"Wow, _very_ mature Kiba!" Catherine shouted angrily as she and the others escorted Relena away back to their villa.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Hehe, I tell ya...booze, money, and naked women. Did I die and go to heaven?**

"Kiba, that was by far the boldest thing that any man, or wolf, has ever attempted in history!" Miroku cheered.

"It was pretty easy. She was so preoccupied with losing her life, that she didn't pay attention to the fact that she was actually losing her clothes." Kiba smirked.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Being a wolf is _so_ cool! We're promised eternal life in Paradise and can rip off a woman's clothing at liberty. Who's the superior race! Yo! POINTS TO HIMSELF **

"Alright, well then, Sachiya and I are going to talk over game hosting while you guys get ready for tomorrow and your next challenge!" Johnny began.

"So Hiei, do you like backrubs before you go to bed or-"

"SACHIYA!" Johnny yelled.

"Ugh, what?" Sachiya sighed definitely annoyed.

"Get over here, you and I've got work to do!" Johnny shouted.

"Alright, alright, stop yelling already." Sachiya grumbled.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) That girl, really disturbs me. And nothing disturbs me. She _must_ be evil. I'll have to keep my eye on her. My _Jagan_ eye, that is.**

**Sachiya: Hiei Fan (Hosting Assistant) That little three eyed demon, is MINE!**

So the competitors retired to their villas and decided to take it easy that day. The girls had won the challenge and surprisingly managed to get through the rest of the day without any arguments.

_**Evening in Starfish...**_

"I am _so_ sorry Relena." Hilde patted her friend on the back who was sitting in the middle of her bed in her bathrobe.

"Ha ha, you must admit though, it was quite funny." Dorothy chuckled.

"How can you say that?" Hilde spat.

"Because she's Dorothy, just forget it." Relena sighed.

"Ugh, Kiba can be such a pup sometimes, I swear." Blue huffed.

"I think we should get them back." Leara suggested.

"You mean like a practical joke?" Serena perked.

"Yeah, why not?" Leara stated slyly.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) A practical joke on the boys. I'm liking this idea, a lot!**

"Hmm, the kid may have an idea here." Ryoko said as she rubbed her chin.

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be great." Pan laughed darkly.

"Everybody in?" Hilde looked around the room.

"I don't know if we should." Yukina was doubtful.

"We could get in plenty of trouble for this." Relena backed.

"Right, that's what makes it so exciting!" Blue smiled.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I'm not usually one for confrontations, but what Kiba did to Relena was quite mean and well...I guess you could say that...this means war.**

"Oh, alright." Yukina sighed.

"Relena?" Hilde looked to the distraught woman.

"Fine. But remember, keep it clean." Relena pointed.

"Of course!" Julia guaranteed.

**Relena: Gunam Wing (Gals) I'm not going to lie. A large part of me wanted revenge. And that's the part I followed. Kiba, is going to regret what he did to me.**

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) You don't mess with the former Queen of the World and not expect to get repremanded. Kiba, is going down!**

_**Evening in White Shore...**_

"Kiba, my main man...err, wolf...whatever!" Dearka began as he draped an arm around Kiba's shoulder. "You are a god!"

"I know this." Kiba smirked.

"Did you see her face?" Spike chuckled.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Plane tickets to Daytona Beach, Florida...one hundred dollars. _Tommy Hilfiger_ full dress outfits to last throughout the trip...eighty four dollars. Having Kiba strip Relena Peacecraft barenaked...priceless.**

"Don't think that isn't coming back to haunt you, wolf." Hiei stated flatly.

"Ooh, speaking of haunting...Hiei, how's Sachiya?" Koga teased causing the small Fire Demon to frown and retreat to the dark confines of his room.

"I'd say we should celebrate, but we all know where that leads us." Trunks said lowly.

"Yeah, let's just chill out here." Yusuke suggested.

"Anyone up for table hockey?" Kuwabara hopped out of his seat to which Ed, Dearka, and Goten followed.

"I hope Relena's not mad at me for not helping." Heero added as he cut on the television, kicking back lazily on the couch.

"Ah, she'll get over it!" Inuyasha said nonchalantly as she relaxed in the recliner chair, hands comfortably behind his back.

_**Nighttime Outside of White Shore...**_

"They won't know what hit 'em!" Hilde whispered as she and the rest of the girls, all dressed in black, snuck up towards the boys' villa preparing for their revenge. What exactly were these girls planning to do? Will they get caught? Or will the guys be in for a _rude awakening_? The plot is indeed a mystery.

_**"...Few times I been round that track so it's not just gonna happen like that, 'cause I ain't no hollaback girl, I ain't no hollaback girl!"**_

xXx

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A/N: Ok, and that was chapter 3! I don't know about you, but I'm really just messin' around with this story. Just trying new and off the wall things and see what I get. This is pretty fun to write, I'm serious!I'm just sittin' here, chillin!' It's a nice warm day outside. Ice Cream trucks are going by. I stopped in the middle of writing to get a strawberry shortcake pop. Dropped ice cream on my shirt...still ate it...hehe. See, life is good! BTW, Sachiya, I gave you purple hair and eyes cause well, I don't know your real features and anyway, you're Animenized (Wow, I made up a new word. Hehe, neat!) So being that you're "Animenized" purple hair and eyes are a must! Well, catch ya laterz!


	4. Payback's a Mother!

A/N: Yo wassup! Sorry about the long wait. Thanks for your help on the pranks! Gave me some insight. But being that I got votes for at least all of the ideas, I decided to just say...what the hell COMBO PRANK! This is going to be really...as a warning...retarded! Good thing summer is here, now updates can be quicker! It just took long this time because of that snag I came to, again thanks! Enjoy the chapter, and remember what I said now...this chapter is extremely stupid, kinda funny but just you know...stupid. -_- Oh yeah BTW, I don't hold anything against yaoi fans, authors whatever, it's just comedy folks don't read too much into it (no pun intended :-P).

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my thoughts...then again...

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 4: Payback's a Mother!**

_**Previously, on Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style...**_

_"Oh no, Relena!" Hilde gasped as she put her hands over her mouth._

_Kiba had quickly stopped his assaults as he trotted back over to his team, quite pleased with himself. Relena however was completely the opposite as she looked around to witness every piece of her clothing sprawled about the ground. That's right...every article of clothing._

_"Uh oh." Winry swallowed hard._

_"HA HA, Relena! You're all naked!" Sachiya laughed and pointed, causing the guys to laugh hysterically and the girls to shield their friend from utter humiliation..._

_**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I had two options, either one...kill her, or two...EVIL SMIRK...**_

_"Wow, very mature Kiba!" Catherine shouted angrily as she and the others escorted Relena away back to their villa..._

_"I am _so _sorry Relena." Hilde patted her friend on the back who was sitting in the middle of her bed in her bathrobe..._

_"Ugh, Kiba can be such a pup sometimes, I swear." Blue huffed._

_"I think we should get them back." Leara suggested._

_"You mean like a practical joke?" Serena perked._

_"Yeah, why not?" Leara stated slyly..._

_**Relena: Gunam Wing (Gals) I'm not going to lie. A large part of me wanted revenge. And that's the part I followed. Kiba, is going to regret what he did to me.**_

_**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) You don't mess with the former Queen of the World and not expect to get repremanded. Kiba, is going down...**_

_"They won't know what hit 'em!" Hilde whispered as she and the rest of the girls, all dressed in black, snuck up towards the boys' villa preparing for their revenge. What exactly were these girls planning to do? Will they get caught? Or will the guys be in for a rude awakening? The plot is indeed a mystery..._

They could hear the annoying sound of male laughter from outside as they continued on towards the boys' villa. They would have to make sure they weren't suspicious, for some of the guys possessed special abilities such as heightened senses and telepathy. They would be able to tell what they were plotting. And the scheme was oh so devious.

"We _have _to do this right." Faye whispered to her teammates.

"Alright, do we have everything?" Keiko whispered.

"I think so." Julia whispered back.

"Okay lets go over everything one last time." Keiko started. "Drinks?"

"Check!" The girls chorused.

"Hypnotics?" Keiko listed.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) We had to be sure we had everything. The guys were SO in for it!**

"Check!" The girls responded.

"Make-up?" Keiko said with a giggle.

"Check!" They all giggled in response.

"Camera?"

"Check!"

"And Lacus, you got your hair dye?" Keiko regarded the other girl.

"I most certainly do!" Lacus perked as she wiggled the bottle between her fingers teasingly.

"Now remember, the wolves are going to be a little different to put under." Blue reminded.

"And Al can't drink, the whole being nothing but tin thing you know!" Winry informed.

"This one will take care of it." Cheza said with a wink.

"Oh wow, this is going to be _so_ cool!" Cagalli brightened.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) So we had this really cool prank cooked up for the guys. I was totally itching for revenge! And I really wanted to get after Wufei! I mean _come_ on! Patriarch much?**

"Yes!" Hilde cheered. "Now let's put the stuff in our purses!" Hilde announced to which the girls followed. "Alright, let's change!"

"Right!" Miriallia brightened. After they changed, they all walked towards the guys' front door, knocking gently.

_**Inside White Shore...**_

"Man, who the hell is this?" Yusuke groaned from his place on the couch.

"Only one way to find out," Miroku began as he stood up to go and answer the door. The knocking continued a while longer. "Alright, we're coming!" Miroku groaned as he finally made it to the door. Opening it, he nearly felt his stomach drop to his toes at what stood before him. "HO-LY, BLEEP!"

"Well are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna let us in?" Hilde asked in a most sultry tone.

Miroku couldn't believe his eyes. The girls were all dressed in the skimpiest outfits. From hip-hugger hot pants and bikini tops, to flared mini skirts and tube tops, he almost forgot that they were the enemy in this bitter competition.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) We were hoping that someone like Miroku or Duo would answer the door. Show the slightest bit of cleavage and thigh and they're puddy in our plotting hands! EVIL LAUGH**

"Why of course! Come on in!" Miroku said fervidly.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Now I know I was probably wrong at the time but, truthfully the _only_ thing going through _my_ mind was, ass and tits!**

The girls all strut their way into the boys' villa, each of them trying desperately to bite back the laughs that desperately wanted to escape.

"Hey Miroku, who is..." Yusuke began but was immediately silenced once he saw the answer to his question. "Damn." He perked.

"What do _you_ want?" Kiba questioned them, not at all effected by their little game...yet.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Something just didn't feel right. Call it a guilty conscience if you want, but usually if it speaks up, it's for good reason.**

"Simple Kiba, we're here for a truce." Blue explained as the rest of the girls filed into the villa. Taking seats on the furniture, they scanned the room for easy targets.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Spike, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Miroku...no-brainer there...Duo, Dearka, Koga, Hige, Goten, and Vash. Easy targets, hands down. The others, well that's where _Margaritaville_ comes in.**

"A truce?" Yzak cocked an eyebrow, obviously not convinced.

"Listen boys," Yukina began in her most innocent tone. "We feel that the competition has just really been getting to us all. We don't want you to be our enemies, we just want to have fun. We want to enjoy the game for what it is, and we don't want anyone to get hurt." Yukina continued, the boys' faces softening with the words that she spoke. The girls knew that they would listen to her. After all, Yukina wasn't capable of devious acts...oh no, not _her_. It was also convincing being that she, along with Cheza, Lacus, and Relena were the only one's who weren't dressed in provocative clothing. Smart.

"So what are you girls proposing?" Wufei questioned.

"Well," Keiko began "being that it's Saturday, and we don't have a challenge tomorrow, we figured we could just hang out with you guys for a while." She said in a sweet voice.

"Hang out?" Athrun mused.

"Yeah, why not?" Cagalli added.

"Oh come on guys what could it hurt, right?" Miroku interjected.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) If the girls want to hang out, I say let them hang out! I mean, who are we to deny them the privilege?**

"I guess not, I was kinda bored with Table Hockey." Duo stated.

"Hey!" Kuwabara protested.

"Please?" Yukina begged innocently, and it was pretty much inevitable from there. Her big sweet ruby gaze was almost hypnotic.

"I don't see the harm in it, do you?" Kurama regarded his teammates who all chorused together...

"Sure!"

"Great!" The girls chimed.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Score! Points to Yukina for her highly convincing innocence!**

With that, Yusuke walked over towards the stereo, the villa then filling with the hip hop sounds of Ludacris' "The Potion." Ironically, the perfect song for what was about to happen to all of them. Venturing towards the living area, he plopped back down on the couch. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Anybody up for a few drinks?" Faye offered as she pulled a tall bottle of Vodka from her purse. How she fit it in there, was beyond the rest of them but at this point they didn't really care.

"Sounds great!" Vash brightened.

"Oh no, I'm never drinking again!" Hige groaned.

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Bad experience!**

"You sure?" Blue asked.

"POSITIVE!" Hige enforced.

"Same here, I believe I've had my share of alcoholic beverages." Wufei sighed.

"That's cool." Cagalli nodded, slightly adjusting the straps to her red bikini top. Her head was starting to hurt from the hair pins that kept her hair in it's up-do, but she would have deal.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) Not like we were actually gonna listen anyway!**

"Would you like some punch or something then?" Yukina questioned sweetly.

"Sure." Wufei said.

"Great, come on Yukina!" Cagalli called over to the other girl as the two of them headed towards the kitchen. Once they had arrived they noticed that Faye and Cheza had already entered into the kitchen and were starting to prepare drinks.

"You got it?" Cagalli whispered.

"Of course." Faye said as she began spiking the drinks with the hypnotics.

"Alright, Cheza you know what to do, not completely asleep, but not completely _awake_ if you get what we're trying to say." Cagalli said with a smirk.

"And don't forget about Al!" Winry whispered as she ran by the kitchen really fast.

"This one understands." Cheza nodded as she began to hum a silent tune that only the wolves could hear.

Winking towards the other girls, Faye placed all of the drinks on a tray and began to serve them to the guys.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Now we knew that the drinks and stuff would make them near blackout drunk, what we _didn't_ know however, is how they would act while _being_ blackout drunk. All I can say is, funny...as...hell!**

_**Many spiked drinks and hypnotic songs later...**_

"Oh. My. God!" Botan gasped as she and the other girls observed the guys' behavior with widened mouths and eyes. The sight was rather entertaining. Between "Candy Shop" playing on the stereo, and the slight buzz that even the girls themselves had from drinking, the party had definitely started.

"Heeeey Hiei, have I ever told you that I think you're a very VERY special person to me?" Kurama slurred as he draped his arm over the Fire Demon.

"No, _you're_ special!" Hiei returned as he palmed the top of Kurama's head.

"No _you_ are!" Kurama threw back.

"No _you_!" Hiei began to nuzzle Kurama's hair.

"Holy BLEEP! Get the camera!" Hilde perked towards Keiko.

"Talk about priceless footage!" Keiko giggled as she dug into her purse for her camera.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY. I always knew there was something...between...those two! CONTINUES TO LAUGH AS TEARS DEVELOP**

"So are your claws really poisonous from just a simple touch?" Miroku asked drowsily to Sesshomaru who just stared at him from the corner of his eye as the two of them relaxed on the lounge.

"Hey Kiba, you got juice all over our fur!" Hige griped.

"Oops." Kiba slurred.

"Hey Fllay check this out! Oh my GOD!" Mirialla doubled over onto the floor in uncontrollable laughter.

"How long have we been friends Yzak?" Dearka sighed lazily as he stretched out on his stomach on the couch gazing at the silver-haired boy lying on the ground directly at it's foot.

"Errr...umm...long time?" Yzak breathed.

"And to think I've never expressed my admiration for your palamino features. I'm sorry. I'm a horrible friend." Dearka said slowly.

"No, _I'm_ sorry. Besides I've always been fond of your satin smooth caramel skin. I used to envy it so. Could you ever find it in your heart to forgive my selfishness?" Yzak pouted.

"You don't need to apologize to me." Dearka sniffed as Yzak sat up on his knees. "Oh...I love ya man!" Dearka pulled Yzak into a tight embrace as the two of them began to become misty-eyed and sentimental.

"Man, my shoulders are kinda tense." Kira groaned tiredly as he leaned by the bar on a stool.

"Oh, let me get that for you." Athrun stated dreamily as he began to massage Kira's shoulders generating moans from the other's throat.

"Ah, that's much better, thanks man." Kira sighed.

"What the _HELL _did you put in that hypnotic?" Sango exclaimed towards Yukina.

"It's a very rare Makai plant usually used to increase emotion and affection. A lot of doctors use it to relieve pain in their patients." Yukina explained.

"So what is it like Morphine or something?" Sally asked.

"Like what?" Yukina was confused.

"Actually, Baki as it's called, is the Makai version of...well, Ecstasy." Botan informed.

"Oh my God are you serious?" Meryl gasped.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) HAHAHAHA! The guys...were high...on demon Ecstasy! HAHAHAHA! That was too much!**

"I'm cold!" Goten shivered.

"Oh here, let me hold you." Trunks offered dizzily.

"Oh thanks a lot." Goten leaned into the embrace.

"Okay, now that's just plain disturbing." Bra smacked her forehead.

"I couldn't agree more." Pan chuckled.

"Keiko, you getting all of this?" Ryoko questioned with an evil smirk.

"Oh yeah!" Keiko laughed as she continued to take snapshots of the drunken boys.

"Okay Cheza so Al's completely knocked out right?" Winry confirmed.

"That is correct." Cheza answered

"And what about the rest of the pack?" Blue questioned. As if on cue Tsume and Toboe came stumbling in from their room.

"I shouldn't have been so mean to you when you tried to lick my wounds." Tsume placed a warm arm around Toboe's shoulders.

"It's okay." Toboe hummed.

"What the BLEEP!" Leara chuckled.

**Leara: Wolf's Rain (Gals) _Licked his wounds_? What the heck did he mean by that? Well, they _are_ wolves. Or was he talking about something else? Ewwwww! CRINGES**

"Man, will they just hurry up and blackout already!" Ayame griped as she observed Koga and Inuyasha cuddling in the recliner. "QUICKLY!" She groaned.

"It will be just a moment," Yukina began "now I am going to go and freeze their piping." Yukina announced.

"Great, because I'm sure they're going to need a cold shower after all of this!" Kagome giggled.

"Oh no question." Aeka giggled evilly.

"Hey, is there anyone feeling a little, you know...bad about what we're doing?" Serena questioned earning a moment of silence and reflection from the rest of her female teammates. After a good while of deep thought and consideration...

"_HELL_ NO!" All of the girls chorused as they continued to reep havoc within the boys' villa.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) I never once imagined that revenge could taste SO sweet.**

"Ooh Relena." Hilde said in a sing-song voice.

"What is it, Hilde?" Relena walked towards the other woman. She couldn't do anything but gasp and laugh breathlessly at the sight beside the couch on which Dearka and Yzak rested. There sat Heero and Duo whispering in one another's ears. Her chest began to hurt from the laughter once she heard Duo giggle in a most sissy tone.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Oh those naughty, naughty boys! HAHAHAHA!**

Yusuke and Kuwabara had their arms draped over the other while engaging in a duet of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" while Android 17 was in the process of "admiring" Ed's metal arm and leg.

"Hey, don't forget who constructed that arm and leg!" Winry pointed.

Vash was showing Spike the proper way to fire a gun as he stood behind the bounty hunter guiding his movements.

"That _really_ doesn't look right." Faye half-laughed.

"Mm-mm." Julia shook her head as she placed her hand on her hip.

Trowa had been in the process of helping Wufei stretch out his joints. He had first started with his arms and was now working on his legs as the Chinese boy layed on the ground with Trowa bending his leg to his chest using his own body weight to do so.

"Now _that_ doesn't look right!" Sally chuckled.

"Smile!" Keiko took a snapshot.

"Tell me when." Trowa yawned to Wufei.

Just then, the room became silent aside from the music that played over the stereo. Android 18 then ventured over towards the stereo and turned the music down slightly. The shallow sounds of breathing could then be heard. The boys had suddenly collapsed in whatever positions that they were in, as they slept soundly. (A/N: Oh boy!)

"Awww, this is _so_ cute!" Serena exclaimed as she pointed to an area on the floor. There lied Hige and Kiba in their wolf forms cuddled snuggly together.

"Say cheese!" Keiko took another snapshot. "Hey, looks like something you'd see on a _Cuddley Cuties _folder, doesn't it?" She giggled.

"Sure does." Dorothy smiled at the display.

"Did you make sure and get them in their human forms?" Blue asked.

"Uh-huh!" Keiko winked. "You remember when Kiba spilled that juice all over himself and Hige?"

"Yeah?" Blue answered.

"Well I caught them in the bathroom cleaning each other off." Keiko informed.

"Oh." Blue kind of shrugged. That wasn't really dirt worthy.

"The _wolf_ way." Keiko hinted.

"Oh...OH! Oh BLEEP!" Blue broke out into heavy laughter.

"I guess they forgot they were still in their human guises, otherwise it would've looked like something on _Animal Planet_. I can hear it now, _Grooming Methods of the Wild_!" Keiko laughed.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) HAHAHAHAHA! The wolf way! For those of you who don't know, let's just say we wolves don't use our _hands_ to clean ourselves. You know cats right...**

"They all look so peaceful don't you think?" Lacus observed.

"Okay Lacus," Hilde began "your hair dye!" She finished.

"Right! I'll be in the bathroom. Just send them to me one by one." She winked.

"Fllay, Catherine!" Keiko called.

"Yes!" Both girls responded in unison.

"Let's get these boys into make-up!" Keiko smiled.

"Right!" They mock saluted as they scoured through their purses for their make-up bags.

"I'm back!" Yukina called as she skipped back into the villa.

"Frozen pipes?" Botan confirmed.

"Mhm." She smiled.

"Great!" Ryoko cheered with an evil grin.

**Meryl: Trigun (Gals) It took us like fifteen, twenty minutes to get the guys all _pretty lookin._' Keiko was like a professional photographer while Pan and Bra got the guys in the preferred "poses." Hint, hint! I bet they'll think twice about doing something like _that_ to a member of our team again. **

_**The very next morning in White Shore...**_

The boys all awoke to the sound of the ocean beating up against the shore along with the sounds of the birds of the sea. They felt absolutely horrible. Their heads felt like cindar blocks being supported by nothing more than toothpicks, and for some strange reason their heads burned.

"Man, what the hell happened?" Ed groaned.

"I don't know, but my head is BLEEP killing me. Inside and out!" Inuyasha hissed as he placed his hand on his head.

"Uhh, guys..." Duo trailed "notice something a little...off?" It was then that they all made a rather shocking discovery. They were all naked.

"Oh BLEEP!" Spike jumped as he rushed into the bathroom covering his groin area with his hands.

"Duo...your hair, and your face!" Heero swallowed hard.

"_My_ hair and face, look at yours!" Duo pointed. "And yours!" He then pointed towards Dearka. They all then decided to rush into the bathroom.

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

The harmonic sound of horrified screams woke the girls from their peaceful slumber. They all rose from their beds with smug smiles plastered upon their faces as they all gathered outside of the villa.

"Ah, music to my ears." Dorothy sighed.

The sounds of curses and scuffling could also then be heard after the screaming finally ceased.

"Serves them right!" Aeka breathed as she released her purple tresses from it's confines.

_"Aaaaaah! What the hell's wrong with the water?" _The girls heard Goten cry out causing them to giggle uncontrollably.

_**Hell in White Shore...**_

"Those crazy bitches!" Yzak growled.

"No, my hair. My beautiful, beautiful hair." Kurama whined about his now dyed hair.

"I know, as if you weren't sissy looking enough!" Spike ground out.

"Hey!" Kurama shot back.

"Look at this!" Dearka was standing in front of the television with a tape in his hand that read "Play Me...Suckers!"

"What is that?" Yusuke questioned hoarsely.

Dearka shrugged as he popped the tape into the VCR and pushed play. After a bit of pre-video fuzz, the smiling faces of all of the girls could be seen.

_"Hey guys! Ya have fun last night? _We_ did!" _Hilde said on the video as she and the other girls burst out laughing.

_"Ah, payback's a bitch isn't it fellas?"_ Faye added with a sly grin.

_"I do hope that you all enjoy my beautician talents. You know how much I love pink!" _Lacus smiled.

"Lacus." Kira growled under his breath as he balled up his fists.

_"Right, I'm sure Wufei is just getting in touch with his feminine side as we speak! Isn't that right Wufei?"_ Cagalli winked mockingly.

"Damn woman." Wufei growled.

_"Oh and how about me and Catherine's cosmetics skills. Lovely wouldn't you say?" _Fllay and Catherine slapped five in the camera.

"Catherine." Trowa shook his head angrily.

_"And don't forget about my work on your plumming. I had figured you would all need a nice cold shower after your...ahem, _hard_ work last night."_ Yukina giggled.

"Yukina." Hiei sighed as he shook his head in disappointment.

_"That's right, in fact we adored our work _so_ much, we decided to make documentations, if you will, of our artistic abilites."_ Catherine added as Pan then came into the camera a mock smirk on her face as she spread out _Polaroids_ of the boys' late night "activities."

"Oh no!" Vash squeeked.

"What the BLEEP!" Kuwabara shouted.

"BLEEP!" Ed yelled.

"Whoa, brother!" Al responded.

"Aw GROSS!" Trunks groaned.

"Heero what the hell do you think you're doing man!" Duo cringed.

"_ME_? What about _you_? Pervert!" Heero gagged.

"Kurama!" Hiei fumed.

"Ugh, disgusting!" Kurama groaned.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Of course you realize this means war.**

_"Before you guys go all berserk and homocidal on us, I think you should know about one major thing." _Kagome began as she held up her index finger with a grin.

"Grrr, what is she talking about?" Inuyasha grumbled.

_"We have evidence of your behavior of last night. And we're sure that none of you guys want any of this to get out." _Bra commented as she arched her eyebrow at one of the pictures.

_"So here are our terms." _Yukina began.

"Yukina? How could you?" Kuwabara whined.

"Oh shut-up Kuwabara!" Yusuke griped.

_"We promise to keep all of last night's events a secret under one condition." _Botan began as she too giggled at one of the photos.

_"Either you lovely guys purposefully lose every challenge from now on, or we post these photos up on totallyaoi dot com!" _Faye announced causing the rest of the girls to laugh evilly.

"What? No way!" Kira protested.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) This is bull BLEEP! Those girls aren't gonna get away with this!**

"Be calm." Sesshomaru stated as he watched the remainder of the tape.

_"Revenge is both bitter and sweet!"_ Dorothy crooned.

_"Pink is such a better color for you anyway. Isn't that right Spike?" _Julia smiled.

"Damn her!" Spike spat.

_"Take care boys." _Android 18 teased.

_"Oh hey Dearka," _Miriallia began, _"nice tush by the way."_ She teased with a wink.

Dearka couldn't help the blush that tinted his cheeks. "Mir..." He growled.

_"See ya later!" _All of the girls chorused as the screen once again went fuzzy.

"They're not gonna get away with this!" Koga vowed.

"We have to stop them!" Tsume added angrily.

"They expect us to lose on purpose! Yeah right!" Athrun shouted.

"Be, calm." Sesshomaru stated once again. "We will not lose the next challenge. We will leave this game with victory in hand." Sesshomaru vowed.

"But the pictures..." Miroku trailed wincing at the memory of him and the elder dog demon.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Such acts are unforgivable. I guess this is what I get for thinking with my BLEEP! Damn! LOOKS DOWN IN LAP I always _knew_ you'd get me in trouble one day!**

"All will be taken care of appropriately." Sesshomaru began. "We as men excel when it comes to matters such as war, which is exactly what has just been declared."

"Right! This isn't a game anymore!" Yzak stated lowly.

"This...is war." Yusuke replied darkly.

* * *

A/N: I told you this chapter was gonna be retarded. But you didn't listen! Review if you want...I'll holla!


	5. Rock Steady

A/N: Hey wassup! Oh it's a miracle a quick update! Don't know, feeling oddly motivated and juiced. Plus, the last chapter was entirely dedicated to the prank and the boys' war declaratioin lol! I really wanted to hurry up and get to the challenge because that's when things are really gonna heat up. The guys are feelin' the fire! All I can say is...the competition, just got uglier!

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, yeah you all know they don't belong to me, don't make me say it!

**Song Disclaimer: **"Get Back" lyrics ownership of Ludacris.

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 5: Rock Steady**

_**Early in the Morning in Starfish...**_

"Ahh, it's a _beautiful_ morning isn't it girls?" Aeka stretched with a yawn.

"Simply breathtaking." Lacus sighed as she viewed the foamy ocean water beat upon the sandy shores near their Daytona Beach villa.

"Don't know why, but I'm feeling so...confident all of a sudden." Ayame mused.

"We _all_ should! After the other night, this competition's in the bag!" Keiko chimed.

"Yep, along with our fifty thousand dollars." Kagome said with a smile.

"Right!" Winry smacked hands with the other girl.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) We knew that unless the guys were _extremely_ secure with their sexuality, they would agree to our terms. It was no contest...literally. We had everything under control.**

"Hmm, I wonder, just how _are_ the boys doing now?" Faye stated with mock innocence generating a flow of giggles from her teammates.

_**White Shore Headquaters...**_

_**Heads up! Heads up...Why you all in my ear talkin' a whole buncha s that I ain't tryin' to hear. Get back get back, you don't know me like that! Get back, get back you don't know me like that!**_

The other night's events left the guys with a certain feeling as well. They vowed that enough was enough. They had all taken a blood oath to defeat the girls at any cost. One would say that they had lost their minds completely. But they were dead serious. The system had definitely changed within the boys' villa. They had stated that it was no longer a game...but war. And that's exactly what they treated it like.

They had been up since 0400 hours that morning. Having made a quick stop to the store to pick up a few supplies, they had their plan well-thought out. They had all dyed their hair to a more appropriate color that was the darkest black. Even the wolves had taken to dying their fur black. Truly they had no choice or they would suffer the embarrassment of having unnaturally pink fur. Quite disgusting. The guys' wardrobe was also no longer accented with the team's color which was blue, but instead now consisted of camouflage print and military style gear. Even their speech had changed. Being that half of them were familiar with military etiquette they used their skills to the team's advantage. It was official...they had completely and thoroughly lost their minds.

"Commander Urameshi, we have a message from the producers." Yzak, who was dressed in an olive-green wife beater, camouflage print baggy shorts along with matching wristbands and black combat boots, informed militantly. Most of the team wore similar garb as well. Black, olive-green, and camouflage print wife beaters and shorts varied throughout each team member. It was quite a sight.

Yzak's now black hair made his skin appear even more pale, almost as if he were glowing. He then passed the house's cell phone towards Yusuke so he could view the message.

Yusuke, who was clad in a black wife beater, camouflage print baggy shorts, black headband and black high-top _Air Nike's_, read over the message to himself before getting the attention of his what he now liked to refer to as "platoon." "Platoon, fall in!" Yusuke shouted in his best drill sergeant tone. Further emphasizing their seriousness, they did as commanded filing in front of Yusuke in proper platoon formation. Hiei and Sesshomaru stood to each side of Yusuke with their arms folded across their chests. Hiei wore a black wife beater, black baggy shorts and combat boots. His wristbands were also black, and his usually white headband had been replaced with a camouflage print strip of cloth.

Sesshomaru still refused to dress in human wear, however his robes donned a single solid color which was black. Having dyed his hair black as well he appeared to be a dark angel from the depths of Hell itself. Truly he never would have dyed his hair had it not been tainted by Lacus Clyne's _beautician skills. _He and Hiei had been appointed as Yusuke's two Executive officers. Yusuke wanted to be sure that he had the darkest of all the team members as his seconds in command, and so Hiei and Sesshomaru naturally got the jobs. They stood on each side of their "Comanding Officer" listening as he relayed the text message to the rest of the "platoon."

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) This! Is not! A game, people!**

"We have recieved a message from the producers. I'll relay the message to you. _Prepare to swing and sway on this bright and sunny day. Dress for outdoor play if you plan to recieve the proper pay. Be ready to leave the villas at ten o'clock sharp. _Repeat message for confirmation and comprehension purposes." Yusuke ordered to which the men responded in unison.

"Dress in field gear, be ready to depart HQ at 1000 hours, sir!" The guys responded in a most robotic tone.

"Fall out!" Yusuke ordered. "Private Maxwell!" Yusuke called over towards the braided boy.

"Sir!" Duo turned smartly on his heels dressed in a camouflage print wife beater, black baggy shorts with a camouflage print headband, and black combat boots. Being the colorful one that he was, he even had a lovely drawn-on tattoo of the female symbol with a strike through it. These boys meant business.

"Remember your mission after today's challenge." Yusuke nodded his head knowingly towards the other boy.

"You can count on me sir!" Duo said with a salute.

"Good. Report to your platoon sergeant." Yusuke ordered.

"Aye, sir!" Executing a perfect about-face, Duo headed towards the direction of Kurama's room, his said "platoon sergeant."

"Today's the day girls. You're going down." Yusuke vowed darkly.

_**Third Challenge: Rock Steady**_

"Ugh, what is taking the boys so long?" Sachiya groaned as she twirled her finger around her purple locks, overly excited to see a certain crimson-eyed Fire Demon. "And why do I have to wear this stupid Hawaiian print tank?" She tugged at the skin tight material while adjusting her white shorts. "How long is this challenge going to take?"

"You ask a lot of questions." Johnny sighed.

"She has a point though, exactly what are the guys doing?" Sally breathed.

"Hmm, dunno...bad hair day maybe?" Android 18 chuckled along with the rest of her teammates who stood waiting on the beach.

Johnny and Sachiya could do nothing but cock their heads in slight confusion to the obviously inside joke. Just then, they all heard loud shouting coming from the distance. Craning his neck to see over the crowd of palm trees, Johnny lowered his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose to get a clearer view.

"What the...?" Sachiya trailed as she too tried to get a better view of the origin of the loud shouting.

"What is that?" Serena questioned with widened eyes.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Of course it could only be one thing. Oh you don't know? I'll give you _one_ good guess...**

"CHARGE!" Yusuke's voice could be heard as he and the crowd of boys came jogging around the corner in perfect formation and precision. From afar they appeared to be a crowd of crazed and blood thirsty soldiers as they continued with their "war cry."

"Oh. My. God." Was all Cagalli could utter as she observed the approaching boys.

"What's with the outfits?" Kagome questioned.

"And is that face paint?" Sango added. And she was indeed correct, the boys had painted their determination scrunched faces green, brown and black in the same pattern as many articles of their clothing.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) And there you have it, the boys...have officially clocked out!**

They had finally arrived at the site and spread out from formation as Yusuke, Hiei, and Sesshomaru turned to face their host and hostess Johnny and Sachiya.

"White Shore reporting for duty!" Yusuke announced choppily. "Bring it on!" He ground out, his eyes glaring towards the ladies.

"Well, I'd say you boys are ready for today's challenge then?" Johnny pointed.

"YEAH!" The guys shouted and cheered in unison, sounding strangely like a _Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz _song. They even had the nerve to add in a hearty _Lil' Jon "OKAY" _at the end of their very _manly _cheers. They were definitely pumped up and ready for action.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) What. The BLEEP! These guys were _insane_! They come in looking like _Rambo's Comeback_, face painted...the whole get up, and their cheer is spun off from some Southern Rapper with a tacky ass cup. What. The BLEEP!**

"Wow, Hiei...that military look is _very_ sexy." Sachiya hummed, causing Hiei to growl under his breath.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) The mission is what matters. If that girl knows what's good for her, she'll stay out of my way.**

**Sachiya: Hiei Fan (Hosting Assistant) Ooh, I love a Fire Demon in military gear. DROOLS**

"Focus Sachiya!" Johnny scolded causing his assistant hostess to pout rather childishly.

"Hey guys, what happened to your hair?" Ryoko teased causing the men to glare towards her. Even sweet heartbreaker Kurama was casting off death glares, his now black hair that he pulled back with a black band making him appear even more frightening then when he would change into Yoko.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Just because they've all gone _psycho commando _on us doesn't mean they're gonna win this game. Let's just face it...we ladies have those little boys wrapped around our fingers. EVIL LAUGH**

"Watch your tongue, woman." Sesshomaru shot back darkly.

"Unless you want to see _your_ tongue posted up on, 'you know what' dot com, I suggest you _not_ try and regulate when I can and can't speak. Don't do anything stupid!" Ryoko retorted.

"Hey, did we miss something?" Johnny questioned nervously as he turned towards his Hiei-swooning co-host for confirmation.

"Nothing of any importance." Hiei answered flatly. Both teams continued to cast the other dirty looks as they stood parallel to one another.

"Ookay then. Let's get this challenge started!" Johnny announced, slightly hesitant, but brushing it off. "Alright ladies, and err...soldiers...today's challenge will take place right here on the beach." He began trying his best to ignore both teams' silent mouthing and pointing towards each other. Insults he assumed. Shaking his head back to focus, he continued with the explanation. "If you will look towards your right, you'll catch sight of an area with ladders suspended over a large safety balloon." He continued.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) This one was feeling very uncomfortable the entire time that Johnny was giving us the instructions on how to do the challenge. Kiba kept giving This one strange looks. Was he angry with This one? MOCK INNOCENCE But whatever for?**

"Two ladders have been suspended above the safety balloons. A flag, pink for the girls and blue for the guys, is placed at every five steps of each ladder." He continued. "You will compete two at a time, crawling across these ladders. Of course, you will be connected to safety cables. The objective is to cross the ladders collecting as many flags as possible. If you drop a flag after retrieving it, tough luck because that flag is null and void and no longer counts. If you fall off, you cannot get back on, which means you keep however many flags you have, _if_ you have any." He informed.

"How many flags are there?" Blue questioned.

"There are a total of ten flags on each ladder. Each flag that you collect is worth ten points to add to your individual score. This is a timed challenge, you will have eight minutes to complete your task. If you go over this time you are disqualified. So my suggestion to you is, if you've not collected all of the flags, or _any_ for that matter and you're cutting it close to the end of the round, just fall off to prevent the risk of DQing." Johnny explained earning nods from both teams.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Sounds simple enough...right? No...but wait...of course there's a catch.**

"The name of this challenge has been named _Rock Steady_ for good reason. These ladders are pulled across so tight, that it causes them to be unbalanced, making it _very _easy to tip over and fall off." Johnny warned hearing the groans throughout the crowd.

It was then that a demonstrator who had been connected to the safety cables above began to crawl across the ladders. Within a few seconds the ladder tilted rapidly to the right, knocking the demonstrator off to dangle by his safety cables.

"See what I mean?" Johnny continued hearing the many 'damns' and 'oh boys' from the teams.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Aha! I knew that sounded way too easy!**

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) So it's like that carnival game where you try to climb the tilting ladders and make it to the top. Except instead of a giant stuffed animal as the prize, fifty thousand dollars is on the line...Damn!**

"I must add that if your opponent collects all of their flags before you, the challenge stops automatically leaving you wherever you may be at that time with however many flags you have." Johnny finished his explanation. "The winner for today's challenge will recieve the Chibi Wolf Hero for themself and _this_ for their team...Sachiya!" Johnny regarded his assistant host. The 'ahs' and 'oohs' seemed to flow throughout the crowd of competitors as Sachiya unveiled the team prize. "An XBOX 360 gamer's kit along with the newest game for the console, _Condemned_."

"Wow, that's nice!" Yusuke slipped out of commando mode for a hot second as he and many other of his male teammates gawked at the team prize.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Damn! I didn't even know any of that was _out_ yet! (A/N: It's not...boo hoo...sorry if I got your hopes up...now back to the fic!)**

"So you guys ready?" Johnny questioned generating a large cheer from both teams. "Alright then, Sachiya read us off the team scores and who get's to go against who."

"Right!" Sachiya winked as she approached the scoreboard. "For the boys' team we have a starting total score of 930. And for the girls' team we have a starting score of 1240." Sachiya announced. "And first up to go head to head in _Rock Steady_, Athrun and Botan." She finished.

"Alright, Athrun and Botan you guys can head over there to the safety station and get set up." Johnny instructed, Athrun executing a salute as Botan did a simple friendly wave.

"Good luck Botan!" Yukina called.

"Yeah! But it's not like you really _need_ it anyway!" Hilde shouted with a smile.

"Thanks girls!" Botan chuckled as she and Athrun walked towards the safety station to get hooked up and ready. She noticed his stoic behavior. He looked so -dare she think crazy- indestructable in his olive-green wife beater, black baggy shorts, camouflage headband and wristbands and black combat boots. The camouflage face paint did a number for him as well.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) The more I observed Athrun, the more I realized just exactly how far away the boys had drifted from sanity.**

"You guys ready up there?" Johnny called up towards Athrun and Botan who stood a good twenty something feet above the ground, hooked to cables, helmets on and studying the challenge set before them intently.

"Yeah!" Botan called down.

"Let's go!" Athrun shouted back blandly.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) I was ready to kick some ass! And today that ass had sky-blue hair!**

"Okay, 1, 2, 3...GO!" Johnny blew his horn indicating that it was time for the clock to begin as both Botan and Athrun got on their knees upon the tilting ladders. Both were a few steps away from their first flags as the ladders trembled and threatened to tip them over.

"Come on man! Whoop this chick's ass!" Kuwabara shouted, not even caring that Botan was supposed to be his friend. According to the other night's event's, he _had _no female friends...not even Yukina. That's right, for fifty thousand dollars..._especially_ not Yukina.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) The ladder was pretty wobbly in the beginning. But I had to put that behind me. I focused on nothing but winning. Mind over matter, you could say. And being that I'm a Coordinator, that was virtually easy.**

"Come on Botan!" Winry shouted.

"Yeah Athrun!" Kira shouted as he witnessed Athrun grab his first flag and hook it to his belt, proceeding to reach the next flag. Seven minutes and four seconds were on the clock now. And unfortunately Botan was still trying to retrieve her first flag.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) It was weird and highly frustrating! Each time I tried to move it was like the ladder would tip dangerously to the side. Ugh! It was a nightmare, because at this point, Athrun had already gotten his _second_ flag, and here I am, flagless and stuck in one spot! Strangely for some reason, the word _karma_ kept racing through my mind repeatedly at that time.**

"Come on Botan, move!" Keiko called out.

"She keeps tipping whenever she moves." Leara observed with a wince in her voice as she and the others shielded their eyes from the sun to witness a struggling Botan a good feet above them. Six minutes and three seconds had now passed.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I _couldn't_ lose, so I had a theory. I figured if I stretched my body out slowly, I would be able to at least get _one_ flag.**

Botan began to slowly stretch her body along the tilting ladder, trying desperately to block out the fact that Athrun had just recieved his third flag. Slowly she spread her knees out supporting her feet on both ends of a wooden step of the ladder for leverage and balance.

"Oh I see what she's trying to do." Relena said.

"But that can't work! Once she puts her weight on her upper body area, she's going to take the weight away from her feet and fall off!" Pan shouted nervously. "Botan!" She called to the other girl, but wasn't heard as Botan could do nothing but concentrate on her plan of action. "Aw, dammit!"

"Go Athrun!" Dearka shouted as Athrun retrieved yet another flag.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) I had four flags already but then something happened...**

Suddenly Athrun's foot slipped, and as a reflex he immediately put all of his weight forward causing the ladder to tilt over tossing him off to bounce freely by his safety cables.

"It's alright man, ya got four! She hasn't got any yet!" Spike yelled causing Athrun to raise his hands in the air letting his teammates know he was cheering.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) At first I was worried, but then Spike let me know that Botan hadn't even gotten her first flag yet, and well...I knew we had this!**

Botan reached out her hand to try and retrieve her first flag, pushing all of her weight forward, and therin lied her mistake.

"Oh!" Dorothy grimaced.

"I can't watch!" Lacus covered her eyes.

She was mere centimeters from her first flag. Her fingers brushed lightly against the cloth until the ladder decided to be her bane and tilted over completely tossing her off to hang by her safety cables.

"Damn!" Faye griped.

"HAHA!" They guys taunted as they watched Botan dangle from her safety cables.

"She...HAHA...didn't get ONE! HAHAHA!" Inuyasha teased.

"Yes she did!" Kagome shot back, causing the guys to cock their eyebrows. They looked towards the blue haired one above waving the pink flag above her head.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) That was close, at the last millisecond I had caught it. I had almost dropped it too because I barely had it but determination held me to it! PHEW!**

"Still doesn't matter, that's just one flag, Athrun got four!" Goten informed in a rather childlike tone.

"That's right, so we still win this round!" Duo prided cheering along with his team as Athrun approached them.

"OO-RAH!" They all shouted in a most manly tone.

"Whatever!" Hilde sighed. "Nice tat Duo, by the way." Hilde commented sarcastically towards the female symbol on his upper arm with a strike through it.

"I knew you'd like it." He smirked tauntingly. Botan then approached from the distance.

"Phew! I thought I wasn't going to make it!" Botan sighed towards her teammates.

"Same here!" Serena breathed.

"Okay that's ten points for the ladies and fourty for the guys." Johnny announced. "Sachiya, who do we have next?"

"Well Johnny, next to compete head to head in _Rock Steady_ we have Ooh Hiei..." Sachiya winked towards the Fire Demon who was not paying her any attention. "And Pan!"

"Alright!" Pan cheered with a determined glow.

"Alright, Hiei and Pan head towards the safety stations and get suited up! Good luck!" Johnny instructed to which the two small competitors followed.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Hiei didn't stand a chance against me! Girl power is one thing, but mix that with Saiyan power and you have a deadly weapon of mass destruction!**

"Alright Pan, kick some ass!" Meryl shouted gruffly.

"You bet!" Pan shouted back from the top of the towers.

"You guys ready?" Johnny shouted.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I was going to win, even if I had to do it the _dirty_ way. EVIL SMIRK**

"Let's go!" Pan shouted down towards Johnny.

"Alright, 1, 2, 3...GO!" Johnny sounded his horn and barely seconds after that did Hiei become _The Blur_ and take off across his ladder, having collected three flags already as barely five seconds passed.

"Damn!" Koga shouted.

"Do it Hiei!" Yusuke cheered.

"Oh no you don't!" Pan grunted as she too sped her way across her ladder. Using her special abilities as her guide she collected two flags and nearly threw up once she heard Johnny sound his horn. "WHAT!" She yelled.

"That's it!" Johnny called through his bull horn.

"What do you mean 'that's it!'" Pan griped.

"He collected all of the flags before you, that's it!" Johnny yelled back.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Are you BLEEP kidding me!**

Pan looked to her right to see Hiei dangling by his safety cables in mid-air, all ten flags hooked to his belt as he smirked at her evilly. She then looked down to her belt and noticed her mere three flags hooked there, and could do nothing but hang in the air growling. "Aw BLEEP!"

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Okay, so I under estimated Stumpy! Next time, I won't be so lenient.**

"Look's like we win again, ladies!" Miroku smirked towards the girls who had looks of disgust etched upon their faces.

"I say, is that silence?" Wufei taunted. "Well, there's a first time for everything." He finished as he slapped fives with Android 17 and Dearka.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I should've known that little weasel was gonna take off like a bat out of Hell! Dammit! Oh well, at least I got three.**

"It's okay Pan, we'll get 'em!" Ayame encouraged.

"Right, we're just getting warmed up." Dorothy continued.

"Don't get happy, because this isn't going to last!" Fllay shouted over towards the boys who just shooed her remark away with their hands.

**Sachiya: Hiei Fan (Hosting Assistant) He's so fast! Oh boy, I just had a very naughty thought about how to take advantage of that. BLUSHES**

"Alright Sachiya, who's next?" Johnny turned to his hosting assistant.

"Up next we have Heero and Serena." Sachiya responded.

"Oh boy." Serena sighed to herself.

"Don't worry girl, you can do it! Focus on the win!" Keiko said encouragingly.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) GULP**

"Alright, 1, 2, 3...GO!" Johnny sounded his horn for the two to start. The ladders were extremely wobbly. Two minutes into the round Heero had retrieved three flags while Serena had just gotten her first.

"Come on!" Vash shouted.

Another minute passed, Heero had retrieved his fourth flag, Serena only her second. Things were not looking too well for her or her team.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I don't think I've ever bitten my nails so hard before! She was losing. _We _were losing! The guys didn't listen to us! GRRR**

Three minutes now and Heero had just retrieved his fifth flag. Hearing the sound's of 'oh no's' from the girls' team, he decided to look to his left, only to find Serena dangling from her safety cable with her two flags.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I would have stopped, but then I thought...what for? The round was still in progress and I still had a chance to retrieve more flags to gain points for myself and for my team.**

"Come on Heero!" Hige shouted to his comrade.

Heero continued on his treck across the ladder, keeping a steady pace and maintaining impeccable balance. He almost burst out laughing victory once he heard his teammates cheering as he hooked his sixth flag onto his belt.

"He's gonna attempt to finish it." Julia observed sourly.

"Oh, come on. Fall already!" Blue groaned.

Two minutes and thirty two seconds were on the clock now. He didn't have much time.

"Heero, ya got two minutes and thirty two seconds!" Johnny called up towards him.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I heard Johnny yell out my time. But I wasn't going to give up. I had to keep going. For the sexual orientation security of every man on both earth and in space...I _had_ to succeed.**

"Keep it simple man! You got it!" Ed shouted.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Man, this guy is determined. If I didn't know any better I'd say that the military transcient on the team made him stronger in some weird inexplicable way.**

Heero had now retrieved his eigth flag. Both teams were now on edge. Even the girls were burning with the urge to see if he was actually going to take it all the way. The ladder tilted dangerously to the right.

"Oh BLEEP!" Duo gasped.

Luckily Heero, with his quick reflexes, caught himself and regained his balance once again. One minute and twenty seven seconds were on the clock now. Heero was just nearing his ninth flag.

"One minute, twenty seven seconds Heero! Easy!" Johnny called up towards the Gundam pilot.

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) I _rarely _get nervous about anything...no wait...I _never_ get nervous about anything. But this guy was seriously and severely pushing it!**

Heero had retrieved his ninth flag and hooked it to it's rightful place on his belt as he carefully proceeded towards the last flag. Forty one seconds were now on the clock.

"Forty one seconds, Heero!" Johnny called up.

"Oh man come on, just leave it!" Kuwabara said anxiously.

"No, he's not giving up _that_ easily." Trowa stated flatly as he looked up towards Heero who was steadily making his way towards the last flag.

"Oh my God, Heero." Relena whispered softly under her breath.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) ..._Damn_ him!**

"Thirty seconds!" Johnny called. Heero was two ladder steps away from the last flag.

"Man if he goes over, he's gonna DQ!" Kuwabara shouted. "Heero!" He shouted towards his teammate.

"Shut-up Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted urging the orange-haired boy to immediately silence himself and observe the current happenings.

"Twenty seconds!" Johnny yelled.

All he had to do now was reach out slowly. Keeping a steady grip in the middle of one ladder step with one hand and reaching slowly with the other, he felt a bead of sweat trail down his temple as he heard Johnny announce that he had ten seconds.

"9, 8, 7..." Johnny began counting down.

"Ooh..." Catherine hissed, Heero was almost there.

"6, 5, 4..." Johnny continued the count down. Heero's fingers gently brushed against the last flag. As he heard the number two he decided to lunge himself towards the flag, forgetting all about balance and just counting on inertia at this point. The ladder tipped throwing him off completely, the flag that he had grabbed floating in the air weightlessly.

"Oh no!" Kurama gasped but before he could take in a full breath, Heero quickly reached out for the flag grabbing onto it and hooking it to his belt.

"_HELL _yeah!" Dearka cheered as he watched Heero hanging from his safety cables with all flags hooked to his belt.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) PHEW Talk about cutting it close!**

"Damn!" Faye growled. From then on, the entire challenge was nothing but a bad omen for the ladies with very few wins on their side. Yusuke went against Cagalli, whipping her with six flags against three. Miroku defeated Sango with a lovely four flags to her three. And though Toboe lost to Hilde four to two, and Al to Kagome three to one. The rest of the game almost completly went to the guys. Kuwabara defeated Julia four to three. Android 17 tied with Bra for ten, truly it was a race for who could retrieve them all the fastest considering their special abilities. Kurama creamed Relena six to one. (A/N: And the rest of the scores I'm just going to lazily list because well, the air conditioning is not on, it's like 100 degrees in here, I'm hot and sticky and well feeling a bit lazy. I need a popsicle)

Tsume's seven to Leara's two. Trunks' nine to Aeka's four. Vash's four to Winry's two. Spike's five to Dorothy's one. Goten's eight to Android 18's seven. Dearka's five to Catherine's two. Yzak's five to Fllay's one. Kiba's seven to Blue's six. Sesshomaru's ten to Ayame's five. Koga's eight to Sally's three. Ed's six to Lacus' three. Wufei's seven to Miriallia's two. Inuyasha's nine to Faye's three. Hige's seven to Ryoko's six. Duo's five to Yukina's four. Kira's six to Cheza's zero. Vash racing once again to Meryl defeated her three to two. And Trowa's five to Keiko's three. (A/N: Okay _that's _over!)

"Wow, that was hot guys! Good job on both teams." Johnny commented, mentally noting the mocking smirks that the guys were casting towards the now scowling girls.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) I had done the math in my head on our scores. I already knew who was leading the competition now. SMUG SMIRK**

"Alright Sachiya, you done posting those scores up on the board?" Johnny questioned the purple-haired girl.

"Yep! And it looks like this competition has done a 180!" She began.

"Can you say..._duh_?" Fllay stated in a most snotty tone.

"Okay, for the girls team we have a final score of 2070. And for the guys, a final score of 2630. Ladies you're trailing by 560 points!" Sachiya perked.

"Thank you." Hilde responded dryly.

"You're welcome!" Sachiya chirped.

"Let me hear it fellas!" Yusuke shouted to his male teammates as all of them responded with a rather hearty and gutteral...

"OO-RAH!" The guys cheered and shouted as they jumped over one another making barking noises. The wolves adding a little more realism to the effect with their yips.

"Ugh, childish." Meryl heaved a sigh.

**Meryl: Trigun (Gals) So they won. Big BLEEP deal. We'd get 'em next time.**

"Well, you heard her. Winner of _Rock Steady_, the men!" Johnny announced generating more cheers from the guys' team. "Chibi Wolf Hero recipient and winner of an XBOX 360 kit for their entire team, Hiei, for retrieving all of the flags in the fastest time." Johnny announced as Hiei walked up calmly to accept his reward.

"Yeah shrimp!" Kuwabara cheered followed by more manly barks and howls from his teammates.

"That's my boyfriend!" Sachiya shouted earning strange looks from everyone else. "What?"

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) That girl kinda wigs me, I mean how can you like someone who can't reach the bathroom sink?**

"Alright, inner circles you know what to do." Johnny announced urging both teams' inner circles to break and begin their meetings.

_**Boys Inner Circle Meeting...**_

"As much as I hate to do this it looks like Al is at the bottom here." Yusuke sighed.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It's really messed up when you've formed like this brotherhood relationship...err..._comradarie _CLEARS THROAT with your teammates and then like _that_ you just have to let them go. Al's a good kid. **

"Yeah, I hate to see him go too, but he knows how it is." Kira stated.

"He accepts his fate, I could sense it. Even though he may not have eyes, his soul was crying out to me. He knew that this was the end." Kiba stated solemnly.

"Dude, what do you want a handkerchief? We won guys! Trust me, the kid's not _that_ upset! As long as we keep this up, his being elminated won't be in vain, that's all that matters." Inuyasha vehemented.

"I guess you're right." Kira said.

"Of course I'm right! This competition is ours! So let's just get this over with and not let the kid down!" Inuyasha let out a gruff sigh.

"Right!" Yusuke smirked.

"BREAK!" The boys shouted.

"Oh hey, Kira man, you'd better watch out." Yusuke warned with a smile.

"For what?" Kira questioned bemusedly.

"Well, Hiei's trailing you by five points now. You don't pep up you're gonna lose your inner circle membership, if you get me." Yusuke informed.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Aw, BLEEP!**

_**Girls Inner Circle Meeting...**_

"This was really _really_ bad!" Kagome gritted.

"Horrible." Keiko added.

"Atrocious." Lacus stated flatly.

"I cannot believe we lost! And ontop of that, the guys are leading us by 510 points!" Faye growled.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Were they like not _listening _when we told them what we would do to them if they failed to lose? What are they slow? **

"I say right after this meeting we run straight to the computer and start uploading, if you get what I mean!" Faye stated grimly.

"Calm down Faye. Something tells me that's not a good idea." Lacus intercepted.

"She's right." Keiko added.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Something tells me those guys have something under their sleeves, _aside_ from the _G.I Joe_ gear.**

"Well we can't worry about that right now, eliminations..." Kagome began.

"I think we need to just keep it fair. Once again Relena is at the bottom. As much as it pains me to admit." Lacus informed.

"I know, and I don't trust the guys in the least. If we're going to be ready for them, we need to be sure we have all the strong players that we can get!" Keiko agreed.

"Then it's settled then?" Faye raised.

"Yep, we have to let her go. Damn it!" Kagome huffed.

_**Eliminations...**_

"Alright, I take it both inner circles have come to a final decision." Johnny started.

"Yes. Al, we're sorry but, we're gonna have to let you go." Yusuke stated rather blandly.

"It's cool guys. I'm not mad. You just be sure to beat these girls for me!" Al said.

"Of course!" Kira nodded.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye brother." Al turned towards his elder brother, Ed.

"For now! Don't worry, I'll be coming back with fifty grand in tow!" Ed guaranteed. He smirked at the sound of the girls sucking their teeth in biligerance.

**Al: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) I knew the game was in my team's hands. No doubt! The girls are too whiny...a-and they dyed by brother's hair pink! Girls are evil!**

"Alright, ladies." Johnny began.

"Yes, it really hurts us to say this but...Relena...sorry." Kagome swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat.

"It's fine girls." Relena forced a smile.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) I really didn't want to go, but I also didn't want to slow my team down either. Besides, I think it was safe to say that well...the boys were psycho.**

"And Hiei, would you wish to use the Chibi Wolf Hero to save anyone here tonight?" Johnny turned to the small Fire Demon.

"Yes. I do." Hiei answered with a dark smirk. "Relena." Hiei stated to which everyone inhaled a sharp breath as the Fire Demon slowly made his way towards the blonde woman handing her the plushie with a rather devious smile upon his face.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) WHAT!**

"Are you sure you-"

"I'm sure," Hiei cut Johnny off. "don't ask questions." He finished.

Relena hesitantly excepted the plushie from his hands, the look in his crimson glowing eyes sending fiery chills up her spine.

"I..." Relena trailed.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) I didn't know whether to be grateful or worried. Especially considering the fact that Al didn't seem at all disappointed by his decision, and all of the boys' expressions remained...dead. They were officially...and I don't usually use this term but...freaking me out.**

"What the hell are you trying to pull half-pint!" Ryoko shouted. Not paying her any mind, Hiei turned on his heels and headed back towards the rest of his team.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) They're _NUTS!_**

"Alright, well then I guess that settles it. You guys can head back to your villas and Sachiya and I will see you tomorrow!" Johnny stated.

"I'll be waiting Hiei." Sachiya winked as she walked past the object of her very strange desires. (A/N: Hehe j/k!)

"Stay away from me." Hiei stated coldly, not even bothering to look the girl in the eye.

**Sachiya: Hiei Fan (Hosting Assistant) Oh, he wants me. SWOONS**

_**Afternoon in Starfish...**_

"...They're up to something...simple as that!" Hilde exclaimed.

"Yes, I've never known Hiei to show his enemies any form of chivalry!" Botan added.

"See that's _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" Hilde groaned.

"Well, whatever it is girls we'll be ready." Faye stated as she stood beside Aeka who had a knowing smirk on her face.

"Uh-oh princess, what are you planning to do?" Ryoko grilled.

"Oh, nothing." She stated innocently.

_**Late-night outside of Starfish...**_

"I'm in pursuit." Duo whispered into his walkie talkie.

_"Alright, Hiei's telling me they're on guard. You got the stuff?"_ Yusuke's voice came through in his ear piece.

"Oh yeah." Duo's voice smirked.

_"Good, on my command...NOW!"_

A/N: What the hell are those boys up to? True they've lost their minds completely, and we all know you can't trust a psycho! Want to find out more, then check in next time for the next update which...depending on how I feel, might be sooner than you think. ;-)


	6. Laser Tag Body Spray

A/N: Sup! Miss me? Well well, like I said this story is so crazy and just getting crazier! If you think the fic is weird you should see my crack-pot notes for this thing! I actually meant to update last week, but erm...I didn't because I got caught up in something else. Anyways, well here I am, updating eating cereal (at 11 o'clock at night :-P), Special K Red Berries are good, but I miss my Lucky Charms. Anyway, I know you guys are tired of waiting on me so here's the update, and btw updates are unpredictable but they are to be expected. I may update once a week, bi-weekly, hell I may update daily who knows, it depends on my three m's (muse, mood, and mindstate). So, in the lovely words of Missy Elliott: Everybody here get it out of control, get your backs off the wall 'cause VAMPSLAYING101 said so... Enjoy the fic!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters, blah blah blah...you get it.

**Warning:** Don't be pissed but this chapter is kinda long...well IMO anyway.

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 6: Laser Tag Body Spray**

_**Previously on Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style...**_

_"The name of this challenge has been named Rock Steady for good reason. These ladders are pulled across so tight, that it causes them to be unbalanced, making it very easy to tip over and fall off." Johnny warned hearing the groans throughout the crowd..._

_**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) So it's like that carnival game where you try to climb the tilting ladders and make it to the top. Except instead of a giant stuffed animal as the prize, fifty thousand dollars is on the line...Damn...**_

_"You guys ready up there?" Johnny called up towards Athrun and Botan who stood a good twenty something feet above the ground, hooked to cables, helmets on and studying the challenge set before them intently..._

_**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) The more I observed Athrun, the more I realized just exactly how far away the boys had drifted from sanity...**_

_**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) I was ready to kick some ass! And today that ass had sky-blue hair...**_

_"Yeah Athrun!" Kira shouted as he witnessed Athrun grab his first flag and hook it to his belt, proceeding to reach the next flag. Seven minutes and four seconds were on the clock now. And unfortunately Botan was still trying to retrieve her first flag..._

_**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) At first I was worried, but then Spike let me know that Botan hadn't even gotten her first flag yet, and well...I knew we had this...**_

_From then on, the entire challenge was nothing but a bad omen for the ladies with very few wins on their side. Yusuke went against Cagalli, whipping her with six flags against three. Miroku defeated Sango with a lovely four flags to her three. And though Toboe lost to Hilde four to two, and Al to Kagome three to one. The rest of the game almost completly went to the guys. Kuwabara defeated Julia four to three. Android 17 tied with Bra for ten, truly it was a race for who could retrieve them all the fastest considering their special abilities. Kurama creamed Relena six to one. (A/N: Truly if I were you, I would just skip down to the part where Sachiya announces the scores. But I'm lazy so...)_

_Tsume's seven to Leara's two. Trunks' nine to Aeka's four. Vash's four to Winry's two. Spike's five to Dorothy's one. Goten's eight to Android 18's seven. Dearka's five to Catherine's two. Yzak's five to Fllay's one. Kiba's seven to Blue's six. Sesshomaru's ten to Ayame's five. Koga's eight to Sally's three. Ed's six to Lacus' three. Wufei's seven to Miriallia's two. Inuyasha's nine to Faye's three. Hige's seven to Ryoko's six. Duo's five to Yukina's four. Kira's six to Cheza's zero. Vash racing once again to Meryl defeated her three to two. And Trowa's five to Keiko's three..._

_(A/N: ...Right here!)_

_"Okay, for the girls team we have a final score of 2140. And for the guys, a final score of 2650. Ladies you're trailing by 510 points!" Sachiya perked..._

_**Meryl: Trigun (Gals) So they won. Big BLEEP deal. We'd get 'em next time...**_

_**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Were they like not listening when we told them what we would do to them if they failed to lose? What are they slow...**_

_**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Something tells me those guys have something under their sleeves, aside from the G.I Joe gear...**_

_"...They're up to something...simple as that!" Hilde exclaimed..._

_"Private Maxwell!" Yusuke called over towards the braided boy._

_"Sir!" Duo turned smartly on his heels._

_"Remember your mission after today's challenge." Yusuke nodded his head knowingly towards the other boy._

_"You can count on me sir!" Duo said with a salute..._

_"I'm in pursuit." Duo whispered into his walkie talkie._

_Alright, Hiei's telling me they're on guard. You got the stuff?" Yusuke's voice came through in his ear piece._

_"Oh yeah." Duo's voice smirked._

_Good, on my command...NOW..._

Duo rushed up towards the girls' villa. Reaching into his back pocket he retrieved his first item, taking the pin between his teeth, and releasing it.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Now you know I loves the ladies...but these are not your average females! They work for the Devil! And tonight we would hit them back...hard!**

"Fire in the hole!" Duo called towards the other members of his team that he knew were standing close by.

Just then an explosion sounded above the girls' villa, much to the guys' dismay.

"Duo you idiot! You were supposed to throw the bomb inside the villa!" Dearka griped as he began to rumble through his pockets searching for protection from the torment that was soon to ensue.

"I did, something's around the villa!" Duo coughed out as the fumes from the stink bomb began to take its toll. "Ah BLEEP, this reeks!"

"It's COUGH COUGH, your fault! Fall back!" Dearka yelled to the other surrounding teammates as he covered his nose with his newly purchased camouflage print bandana. The five retreated further towards the beach.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) It was strange, almost as if the girls had expected this.**

"All right, what the hell just happened?" Spike coughed out. The stench from the stink bomb seemed to take permanent nesting inside his nostrils.

"It was a barrier." Inuyasha growled, his sensitive nose had to have been suffering the worst out of all of them.

"Are you serious?" Dearka cocked an eye.

"Oh I'm more than positive. I could sense a strong energy, but I wasn't sure what it was until it was too late." Inuyasha admitted as he scrunched his face in annoyance.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) They were definitely prepared, which meant we would have to shift to Plan B!**

"Perfect." Wufei released an exasperated sigh. "We should return to HQ, I'm paging Yusuke." Wufei began but was stopped by Dearka, much to his surprise.

"No way man!" Dearka protested.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) It was obvious that these chicks wanted a fight. So damn backing down! I'm always willing to satisfy the ladies, and if these chicks get off through war, I was definitely up for it! Do you have any idea how BLEEPING gay I look with pink hair?**

"We're taking these chicks down tonight!" Dearka vowed.

"Don't forget the backup plan." Spike raised.

"Right!" Inuyasha replied with a wink.

"Oh yeah, the backup plan. Of course." Duo responded slyly. Smirking evilly he quickly radioed back to Yusuke telling him that they were going back into action. After getting the okay, it was time for phase two. "All right, let's move out!"

_**Late Night In Starfish...**_

"Did you guys hear that?" Serena gasped.

"This One does not feel comfortable." Cheza trembled slightly.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) The boys are getting scary. They're frightening This One.**

"Not to worry, I have it all under control." Aeka gloated as she stood centered in the villa with her arms extended, keeping the barrier standing.

"Good job princess!" Ryoko winked.

"We need a backup plan girls, what if that barrier doesn't hold, I mean Aeka what...you're like going to just stay there all night?" Cagalli exclaimed anxiously. "The boys have lost it, I don't even think they need sleep anymore!"

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) Most lunatics don't. Really, it's a proven fact. (A/N: No really it is!)**

"You're right, we do need a Plan B." Keiko paced the floor. She looked at the clock and noticed that it read 12:13a.m. "Crap." She sighed.

"Something the matter?" Botan questioned.

"Nothing, it's just this whole thing is getting crazy!" Keiko groaned.

"Yes, and to think it all started with a little unwanted nudity." Dorothy put her two cents in as she nodded towards the vice foreign minister.

"Are you implying that all of this is my fault?" Relena glared.

"No, however if you were capable of handling your own critical affairs, the rest of us wouldn't have had to interfere in the first place." Dorothy stated firmly.

**Dorothy: Gundam Wing (Gals) Damned pacifists! *BROODS***

"I am quite capable of handling my own affairs!" Relena retorted. "Besides, I didn't see you complaining when you were stripping Sesshomaru free of his clothing the other night." Relena jumped, causing Dorothy to drop her jaw in shock and disbelief at such words.

**Relena: Gundam Wing (Gals) How dare she!**

"She does have a point, Dorothy." Pan added wryly.

"Let us just admit that we are all responsible for what is happening." Lacus intercepted.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) The last thing I wanted to hear was more bickering. My Coordinator ears can only take so much. Besides, arguing is bad for the skin, and I would die if ever I were to lose my creamy, satin complexion. Ugh! (A/N: Ooookay.)**

"You're right. We shouldn't blame Relena for her incompetence. If you ask me, I believe it to be the the fault of the pitiful blood that is the Peacecraft dynasty as a whole." Dorothy sighed.

"No one is asking you. So can it already!" Ryoko growled.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) I swear, that girl had one more time to say something bitchy...**

"Oh no one is talking to you, you freeloader!" Dorothy spat.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) ...And that was it!**

(A/N: Insert Brooke Valentine's "Girlfight" here! ;-O)

"Okay, that's it I've had it! The wicked bitch of the west is going down!" Ryoko stepped to the now frightened girl as she rolled up her sleeves preparing to strike.

"Ryoko no!" Yukina tried to calm the space pirate down as she immediately pulled her back.

"Let me at her! I'll make a mop out of her!" Ryoko griped.

"Ryoko please, calm yourself." Catherine stepped in front of the approaching woman as Dorothy cowered behind her.

"Don't worry, I won't kill her! I'll just make her wish I did! Now unhand me!" Ryoko squirmed within Yukina, Keiko and Botan's grasp.

"Ryoko, get a hold of yourself!" Botan strained as she and the other two dragged behind the space pirate. She and Keiko were now on their bellies holding onto each of her legs for dear life as Yukina retained a vice-grip on her left sleeve.

"You stay away from me you psycho!" Dorothy shouted as she continued to hide behind Catherine.

"Psyho! Oh, I'll show you psycho!" Ryoko shouted as she gained distance upon the woman. She was about to free herself from the girls' hold until the villa began to quake.

"What was that?" Miriallia gasped as she and the other's looked towards the vibrating ceiling.

"Uh-oh, I know that sound." Kagome swallowed a gulp as she and the other girls continued to look above them.

Ryoko had retreated her struggling as her senses kicked in on what was occurring on the outside, "Oh sh"

**_Late Night Outside Starfish..._**

"TESSAIGA!" Inuyasha shouted as the now red blade of his trusted sword made contact with the barrier that shrouded the girls' villa.

"Score!" Dearka smirked as he and the other three witnessed the barrier slowly dissipate.

_**Inside Starfish...**_

"Aeka!" Sango rushed to the aid of the fallen princess. She cradled her head in her lap.

"Forgive me, I was not strong enough. I have failed you all. COUGH. Oh, what has become of this princess?" Aeka choked.

"Hang in there." Sango placed a hand on her forehead.

"No, it is too late. It has already...begun." Aeka soon ventured out of consciousness, leaving Sango there to gaze sadly upon the girl's defeated form for a spell...

"Ah BLEEP!" Sango griped in a most irritated tone as she hopped to her feet, not noticing as she did so that Aeka's head made a rather violent collision with the ground.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) We knew the boys were on their way, and we didn't have a backup plan. Arguing never get's you anywhere! Damn it!**

"See, now all that time you spent fussing we could've been working on a way to prepare for this!" Pan shouted angrily towards Dorothy, who surprisingly said nothing.

"Not to worry girls, more than likely, they're coming in here to get those pictures. So Hilde and I thought this up..." Keiko began as she and the rest of the girls huddled together.

_**Outside of Starfish...**_

"Barrier has been defused." Inuyasha radioed in to 'HQ.'

"Good, now hold your positions and wait for my signal, we're almost done here." Yusuke's disstorted voice sounded through Inuyasha's earpiece.

"Affirmative." Inuyasha responded.

"Over and out." Yusuke clicked off.

"What's the word?" Wufei regarded Inuyasha.

"He says for us to wait here until he gives us the signal." Inuyasha informed as he and the others hid in some nearby bushes.

"Signal? What BLEEPing signal?" Dearka huffed. Raising his eyebrows he then remembered a meeting between his 'commander' and the rest of the 'troops.' "You mean_ the_ signal?"

"He didn't say." Inuyasha shrugged.

"I guess we'll know it when we see it." Spike sighed as he and the others continued to hide and wait for their 'commander.'

_**White Shore Headquarters 0049 hours...**_

"Fall in!" Yusuke shouted urging his 'platoon' to immediately file out orderly in front of him, Sesshomaru and Hiei at their rightful place to each side. "Eyeballs!" Yusuke ordered, to which the entire 'platoon' immediately obliged as they eyed his every move. "Listen up, G-Unit 1 just radioed in. The operation is in effect." Yusuke informed, smiling as he heard the slight chuckles coming from his 'platoon.' "Now, we're gonna head over there and handle our business. Get in, get done, and get the hell out, understand!"

"Yes sir!" The 'platoon' sounded off.

"All right, we're going to have to go in unnoticed. Kurama!" Yusuke called towards the former red-head.

"Sir!" Kurama sounded off.

"That's where you come in!" Yusuke informed.

"I will not fail sir!" Kurama executed a swift salute, to which Yusuke returned respectively.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It was a rather intelligent plan if I would say so myself. So utterly frightening, yet something about it almost seemed...poetically cruel. EVIL SMIRK**

"That's what I like to hear." Yusuke stated. "Everyone geared up?"

"Yes sir!" They shouted.

"Hiei, Sesshomaru, do you understand and are willing to comply with orders?" Yusuke regarded his executive officers.

"We concur." Both demons nodded.

"Good." Yusuke turned towards the 'platoon' once again. "Everyone remembers the signal, correct?" Yusuke sounded.

"Yes sir!" The 'platoon' sounded off once more.

"All right then, let's move out!" Yusuke ordered gruffly.

"Aye sir!" Commencing about faces, the 'platoon' proceeded to carry out the mission.

"Hehe, this BLEEP is going to be so BLEEP hilarious!" Yusuke slipped out of commando mode for a second.

**_Outside Starfish..._**

"Man, what the hell is taking them so long?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"I don't know, but what time is it?" Dearka questioned.

"0102 hours." Wufei informed.

"Damn. Hey don't we have a challenge tomorrow...or rather today?" Spike added.

"Yep." Dearka answered.

"It's all right. After tonight's mission, there's no doubting in our victory." Wufei said with a confident smirk.

They then looked above into the night sky to witness a female symbol with a strike through it flashing. That was it.

"I love that sign, hey maybe I should consider marketing it." Duo smiled as he and the others caught sight of the rest of their 'platoon' heading towards the villa's rear.

"Let's go!" Dearka smiled as the rest of G-Unit 1 followed suite and headed towards the villa's rear.

_**Inside Starfish...**_

"That's the entire plan?" Blue cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what...you don't like it?" Keiko placed her hands on her hips.

"No, it's not...it's just...well...it's very...erm..." Blue trailed.

"...Unusual?" Julia finished for her.

"Yeah." Blue nodded slowly.

"Well, good because it's supposed to be." Hilde added.

"I just hope this works." Sally sighed along with the rest of her teammates.

"It should." Keiko nibbled on her lip anxiously.

"What do you mean 'it should?' Will it work or not?" Bra pushed.

"It will, just...calm down girls." Hilde sighed, looking onto the floor, she palmed her forehead tiredly. "Will somebody put Aeka in her room for godsake?"

"On it." Android 18 volunteered.

"This had better work or I swear..." Fllay griped.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) What the hell were they thinking!**

_**Outside Starfish...**_

"Kurama, you're up." Yusuke whispered towards the other boy who nodded in return.

Kurama then reached into his back pocket pulling out something that wasn't quite visible to the eye. Keeping the mysterious item balled into his closed fist, Kurama blatantly knocked on the girls' back door.

"This had better work." Athrun sighed.

"Trust me, Kurama knows what he's doing." Kuwabara assured as he and the others hid within some nearby bushes adjacent to G-Unit 1.

_**Inside Starfish...**_

"...You answer it." Winry looked towards Ayame.

"No, you answer it!" Ayame protested.

"Well someone has to answer it!" Leara huffed.

"Get someone strong to answer it, Pan!" Meryl turned towards the younger girl.

"What? Why me?" Pan's eyes widened.

"You're strong, so you answer it!" Meryl suggested.

"What does that have to do with anything!" Pan griped.

"Oh come on already!" Kagome griped.

"BLEEP I'll answer it!" Faye intercepted as she marched towards the back door.

"Be careful." Serena bit her nails nervously.

"Yeah, yeah..." Faye approached the door cautiously.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I wanted those boys to try something. Besides we had a plan.**

"Who is it?" Faye asked in a most annoyed tone.

"Kurama." Kurama's voice was soft and muffled from the other side.

"What do you want, and if you say something like 'a truce' I swear I'll kick your ass!" Faye spat.

"No, nothing like that. However, we do need to have a talk. Being that I am the most rational of my teammates, it has been decided that I be the one to have the talk with you ladies." Kurama stated humbly.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) No woman can resist my charms, no matter what the circumstance. And that is how my team held the advantage. We would end this nonsense once and for all. Well, their nonsense anyway. EVIL SMIRK**

"Fine, whatever." Faye sighed as she opened the door. Not seconds before she noticed that Kurama had a camouflage print bandana covering his nose and mouth, did a clear mist fill throughout the villa causing her and the other girls to cough violently.

"K-Kurama!" Botan coughed out as she witnessed the strange plant within his hand emitting the strange mist.

"What are you..." Faye trailed but was soon silenced as she immediately went into a trance along with the rest of the girls.

Kurama examined the room to be sure that all the girls had been effected. He was pleased once he layed eyes upon the two whom he was most worried would be immune, Blue and Cheza. They too had become entranced. "Perfect." He then radioed to his 'commander.' "I'm in."

"Great, we're on our way. You know what to do." Yusuke sounded into Kurama's ear piece.

"Right." Kurama nodded.

"Over and out." Yusuke clicked off.

"All right ladies. It is time." Kurama smirked. "Faye."

"Yes." Faye answered dazily.

"The pictures that you took of the boys, take me to them." Kurama ordered.

"Right this way." Faye turned on her heels and began to lead Kurama to the pictures.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It's my very own creation. A plant that's enzymes act as a powerful hypnotic and mind control substance. Whomever is exposed is virtually helpless and at their 'master's' mercy. Oh but it didn't stop there, no I had much more under my sleeve...we all did. EVIL CHUCKLE**

Yusuke and the rest of his team entered into the girls' villa and couldn't help but laugh at the sight of them stuck in a dazed state.

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) HAHA They were a hairline away from being catatonic.**

"All right calm down guys." Yusuke ordered as he himself tried righteously to bite back a laugh of his own. "Kurama's getting the pictures, and now it's time for us to do some damage." Yusuke added with a sly grin.

"Yeah! OO-RAH!" The guys cheered.

"Okay, Kira, what's that you were saying about that brainwash block word crap?" Yusuke questioned towards the other boy.

"Yeah, it's a certain word that will shut them down when they're well...fighting. In this case competing." Kira explained.

"Ha, I got a better idea. We're gonna use something like that to activate them." Yusuke grinned.

"Yes, you mentioned something about having them act on their emotions?" Hiei inquired.

"Uh-huh. And yeah, this emotion is the most delicate of all." Yusuke smiled knowingly towards his team.

"Oh, you are evil." Miroku shook his head. "I LOVE it!"

"I have the pictures!" Kurama announced as he trotted into the villa's main living area. Thumbing through them, he could do nothing but wince and groan. "Ugh, how repulsive." He grimaced.

"Great! Put them away. All right guys, now I say we have the last word! Tonight, we're gonna hit 'em where it hurts!" Yusuke vowed earning manly barks and "yeahs!" from the other guys. "Kurama, I'm leaving the rest to you."

"Thank you sir." Kurama nodded as he stood before his men.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Remember how I stated before that our plan was poetically cruel? Well, I couldn't have said it better.**

Kurama extended his hands as a beautiful plant with pink and purple colored flowers on it's stems grew before their very eyes.

"Sweet!" Kuwabara squealed.

"Gentlemen, behold I give you...power!" Kurama announced. "Each of you will take one of these flowers. Using your knives, slice the stems vertically just enough to allow the juices held within to flow freely. The flow is slow, yet very effective. Choose your females wisely." Kurama smiled as the boys all picked the flowers from the newly grown plant that Kurama held and ventured throughout the villa and began 'shopping.'

Miroku was the first to begin as he immediately sliced his flower's stem as instructed and strut his way into the area where all of the girls sat in a daze.

"You must place the flower's liquid upon the tip of your tongue, and then hers. She will then become 'bound.' Victory will be ours." Kurama smiled.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Did I mention how much I loved this plan?**

Miroku immediately caught sight of an entranced Sango sitting upon the couch. "Giggadie giggadie, gig-ga-die! Oh!" Miroku quickly ventured over towards the woman and proceeded as directed.

"Take it easy Quagmiere!" Dearka chuckled as he smiled evilly towards Miriallia. "Oh yeah, payback is definitely a bitch!"

"Hey Hiei, aren't you gonna..." Yusuke trailed as he nodded towards the girls.

"Hn." Hiei scoffed.

"You kidding, he's got enough trouble as it is with that Sachiya chick!" Kuwabara teased, generating a growl from the Fire demon. But this growl was not as a result of his comment, but because of the fact that the orange-haired boy was aiming straight for Yukina.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hiei questioned him darkly.

"I'm working, what's it look like?" Kuwabara frowned.

"Step away...from the ice maiden." Hiei ordered lowly.

"Oh come on!" Kuwabara pouted.

"Kurama!" Hiei desperately summoned the fox.

"I understand!" Kurama quickly trotted towards Yukina as he placed a drop of his newly grown flower juice onto the tip of his tongue.

"Hey!" Kuwabara complained as Kurama bumped past him towards the girl of his dreams, but was too late as the fox met the tip of his tongue with Yukina's, 'binding' the girl. "That's not fair!" Kuwabara pouted.

"Hn." Hiei turned away as he observed the rest of his team in action.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I did not trust that fool with her. He might actually forget that this is all part of the mission. Bad things could happen. Bad, disturbing things.**

"Wolves...err, are you cool?" Yusuke scratched the back of his head.

"I guess, but this is a little weird though." Toboe sighed.

"Yeah, Porky's fine. I mean, after all he's got Blue...but...ugh, they're all so...human!" Tsume griped.

"I know, I know..." Yusuke trailed.

"No worries, I have just the thing for you wolves." Kurama smiled as he held out his palms, three seeds rested there.

"What are those?" Kiba asked.

"They're seeds."

"Yeah, we see that, what do they do?" Tsume questioned.

"Whatever you want them to do." Kurama explained with a knowing smirk.

"Ahh." The wolves nodded as they grabbed the seeds and proceeded to hunt for the perfect girl.

Everything was going according to plan, and all hell was guaranteed to break loose at the next challenge.

"All right, we're done here, now let's get the hell out!" Yusuke ordered as he and the rest of his team quickly left the girls' villa. The girls slept soundly in their beds, the guys being kind enough to place them there.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) HAHA we were in their system now...literally! The next challenge was definitely going to be ours for the taking! HAHA**

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

The jingle of the house's cell phone awoke a sleeping Keiko and Miriallia as they stretched and yawned lazily.

"What does it say Keiko?" Miriallia said through her yawn.

"It says: It's time to go old school as the competition get's even hotter. Dress for outdoor play and be prepared to leave the villas at 10 a.m sharp! Hmm, now what could that mean?" Keiko questioned mostly to herself.

"Oh no!" Cagalli shouted suddenly.

"What is it?" Lacus, along with the rest of the girls, immediately rushed into the blonde's room.

"The pictures that we took of the guys, they're gone!" Cagalli panicked.

"Are you serious?" Kagome gasped.

"I checked everywhere! They're not in my pillow case where I kept them before!"

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) So not good!**

"Are you sure that you checked everywhere, Cagalli?" Relena questioned.

"Positive! They're gone!"

"Damn!" Julia growled.

"They must've taken them while we were asleep." Miriallia surmised.

"Ick!" Fllay came in brushing her teeth feverishly.

"What is it Fllay?" Botan questioned concerned.

"I don't...know...but I've, got this...ICK, really, REALLY bad aftertaste on my tongue!" Fllay grimaced.

Botan then smacked her lips together wincing as she did so. "Hmm, so do I. My what did I eat?" Botan groaned.

"Ack, it's not just you guys!" Serena stated sourly.

"Ugh! I told you those bastards were up to something!" Hilde gritted.

"You believe that they are responsible for this?" Lacus queried.

"Obviously!" Hilde scrunched her face.

"What do you think they gave us! Whatever it is, it's horrible!" Pan managed to grind out as she searched her bag for a bottle of Listerine. She had already brushed and flossed twice and she could still not get the horrible taste out of her mouth.

"They probably poisoned us!" Bra sighed as she gargled with some Scope for the umpteenth time.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Men are such babies!**

"Let's just get dressed for the challenge. We're obviously not going to get this taste out of our mouths." Faye sighed as the rest of her teammates followed suite.

_**Outside Starfish...**_

"Jackpot!" Dearka slapped hands with Heero as the two of them left from spying.

"HQ. Nectar is in effect, over." Heero radioed in as he and Dearka trotted back to their villa.

"Man, I need some water or something." Dearka smacked his lips together sourly.

_**0824 hours in White Shore Headquaters...**_

"Man, how come you didn't warn us about the horrible aftertaste this BLEEP leaves behind?" Duo complained.

"Yeah, I've brushed five times already and I can't get the taste of rotten lemons out of my mouth!" Trunks stuck his tongue out, highly tempted to just say 'to hell with it' and set the damn thing on fire already.

"Be calm everyone, I have a solution." Kurama raised as he pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey.

"You're kidding right?" Ed stated dryly.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) And what the hell was he doing with a bottle of Jack Daniels stashed in his pillow case anyways? (A/N: Hehe, Kurama's an alcoholic...j/k:-P)**

"No, the alcohol will dilute the aftertaste completely. Just a teaspoon full should do the trick." Kurama informed.

"I hope you're right." Trowa sighed as he was first to take the said 'solution.' Shivering slightly from the sting of the liquid down his throat, he was amazed that it actually worked. "Hey."

"See." Kurama nodded as the rest of the boys proceeded to take their 'medicine.'

"Okay men, today's the day!" Yusuke announced eagerly hearing the cheers from the rest of his team.

"Right, remember to bring your...activators." Kurama winked.

"Right!" The guys said in unison.

"Okay guys, let's get...erm...cleaned up." Yusuke said with a sly wink as all of the guys rushed for the bathrooms.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) We had it all figured out! Nothing was going to stop us! HAHA We were unstoppable! Victory was ours! Nothing could've gone wrong! Why do we men always bite off more than we can chew? AWKWARD SILENCE**

_**Forth Challenge: Laser Tag!**_

"Damn! It's hot as HELL out here!" Sachiya groaned as she fanned herself with her hands, the scorching sun that sat in the cloudless sky continued to beat upon her form.

"Won't argue there." Johnny sighed as he watched the girls approaching the beach from the distance.

"Ugh, finally! You know Johnny, we're gonna have to talk about me wearing Hawaiian printed tanks!" Sachiya complained, urging Johnny to slap himself on the forehead. She continued to adjust her all pink Hawaiian print tank and pink shorts. (A/N: You said you liked pink! Stop complaining already:-P)

"So what's up for today, Johnny?" Ryoko sighed as she squirmed in her fuschia tank and white shorts.

"You'll see, just waiting on the guys now." Johnny said.

"Ugh, They're not planning another 'grand entrance' are they?" Android 18 sighed, highly annoyed.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) The whole commando makeover is so retarded.**

Of course the boys came around the corner cheering donning their military style outfits just as before. Most of them wore black wife beaters while others wore camouflage print and olive colored vests which they wore opened to reveal their chests and abs. The dogtags that they wore were actually quite stylish.

"Oh, my, GOD!" Sachiya drooled as she witnessed Hiei approach in his camouflage opened vest, baggy shorts, black high-top Reeboks with matching head and wrist bands. His dogtags dangled just above his bare ripped chest, the jingles driving her to slight insanity. (A/N: Getting a visual Sachiya...hehe! ;-O)

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) I don't know what it is, but this whole military fashion that the guys are sporting is kinda well...hot. ACK! Oh my GOD did I just say that? What the hell is wrong with me?**

"Wow, wow, wow, wow..." Sachiya's eyes turned into giant hearts.

"Easy there kitten." Johnny held the purple-haired girl back.

"So you finally made it did ya?" Ryoko huffed.

"Did you miss us?" Trowa smirked towards the space pirate.

"Huh?" Ryoko widened her eyes. For some unknown reason, she was blushing. "What the..."

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) This was bad. The only one who make's me blush is Tenchi. But something about that green eyed mute...Oh BLEEP! CONTINUES TO BLUSH AND SLAP HERSELF**

"Ookay then. Good that you guys finally made it. Well, the actual challenge is going to take place in the old rec center, so if you would all just follow me and Sachiya." Johnny started but noticed that Sachiya was still drooling over an oblivious Hiei. "SACHIYA!"

"Yes?" Sachiya answered dreamily. She immediately snapped out of it once she felt Johnny grab a hold of her ear dragging her towards the challenge site. "Ow! Hey! Watch the piercings!" (A/N: Are your ears pierced? Oh well, they are now!)

"I do hope that you ladies are prepared for defeat." Kurama commented towards the girls.

"Whatever, Kurama!" Bra stuck her tongue out. She cocked an eyebrow however once she noticed Yukina staring at the boy with an expression that could easily be described as...dreamy. "What in the name of..." Bra trailed.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Okay, something was definitely up! And it was beyond disturbing!**

They had arrived inside the old rec center which they noticed was a large room painted completely black. It had been set up with blocks and tubes big enough to hide behind or inside. That's what they figured they were there for anyway. The ground was shiny and completely blue. The ultra violet lights had a neon effect on every object that was held within the room. From the white shoe laces on the girls' feet to the neon paint that was splattered upon the black walls, the effect was almost psychedelic.

"Cool room!" Kagome brightened.

"Yeah, I feel like I'm getting ready to ride Space Mountain or something." Miriallia gleamed.

"So what are we doing?" Cagalli asked.

"Well guys, today's challenge will prove to be both fun and simple." Johnny began. Just then Sachiya entered with a rack of silver spacesuit looking vest with guns hooked to the side. "Ladies and gentlemen, today you will be competing in the classic game of Laser Tag!" Johnny exclaimed to which everyone basically seemed satisfied with.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) This was great! I always win at this game! I even go so much as to gamble with it! See, now this is my kind of competition.**

"You will compete in two separate teams split apart evenly. There a total of two rounds. Each round will last ten minutes. Each minute you last in the game is worth ten points to your own score. You last the entire round, that's one hundred points. However, whichever competing team has the most members by the end of the round, be it through elimination or time, earns thirty points for their team as a whole. That means either men or the women. Whichever team wins both rounds, will add one hundred points to your teams score." Johnny explained.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) Sounds easy enough right? Hmm, Koga looked quite handsome in that black vest and baggies. AHHH! What! What is wrong with me?**

"The winner for today's challenge will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero and this for their entire team," Johnny regarded Sachiya who unveiled the challenge prize. Again the 'ooh's' and 'ahh's' said it all, the prize was delicious. "a Sony mini DVD player complete with headset, DVD case and the latest movie out on DVD Napoleon Dynamite!" (A/N: HAHA I loved that movie! SWEET!)

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Not bad. Hmm, Duo looks nice with black hair. It gives him that rockstar affect...What the BLEEP!**

"All right!" Many of them cheered save for the few who had no interest in such an item or the movie. Quite obvious who they were.

"Now, Sachiya if you would just update us on the scores please." Johnny turned to his co-host.

"Certainly. For the boys we have a starting score of 2630. And for the girls 2070." Sachiya informed.

"We gotta pep it up girls." Faye regarded her team who all nodded in determined agreement.

"This challenge is perfect guys." Yusuke whispered to his team who all nodded in agreement with knowing smirks on their faces.

"All right you guys can decide on teams while we make sure everything is set up properly. Sachiya!" Johnny called towards his co-host.

"Loving the look Hiei. Too yummy." Sachiya winked towards the Fire demon.

"COME HERE!" Johnny yelled.

"Okay, damn! Mr. Bossy!" Sachiya pouted as she followed her 'boss' to check over the challenge materials.

_**Girls Team meeting...**_

"...Okay so it's settled then." Keiko began. "Me, Serena, Meryl, Botan, Sango, Catherine, Relena, Ryoko, Android 18, Cheza, Lacus, Hilde, Winry, and Ayame are going to be Team A." Keiko listed.

"Okay, then." Faye nodded. "I guess that leaves me, Cagalli, Kagome, Bra, Blue, Leara, Julia, Sally, Dorothy, Fllay, Yukina, Aeka, Miriallia, and Pan on Team B." She finished.

"Right then." Keiko slapped her hands together. "Come on girls lets get ready." Keiko began as her team followed.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) We were definitely ready to kick some butt! Sure hope this didn't botch up my chances with Yusuke! HAHAHAhahahehehehehuhuuhhh...Huh?**

_**Boys Team meeting...**_

"All right Team A members are as follows," Yusuke began. "Me, Heero, Vash, Kiba...hold the gun to the best of your ability man...Kira, Miroku, Koga, Goten, Kuwabara, Tsume...same goes for you...Trowa, Duo, and Ed. Got it?" Yusuke finished.

"Got it!" The said Team A members responded in unison.

"My team," Hiei began. "Will consist of, Athrun, Toboe...figure it out..." Hiei didn't even let the young wolf pup interrupt about the gun-holding issue.

**Toboe: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I guess I would just have to do my best like the rest of us. See that's why I wanted to be on Yusuke's team. Yusuke's nicer. Hiei's so mean, and Sesshomaru, and Yzak, and Android 17...Man, I had a team full of mean people! That wasn't fair! POUTS**

"...Android 17, Dearka, Spike, Hige, Inuyasha, Wufei, Yzak, Kurama, Trunks, and Sesshomaru." Hiei finished his listing of Team B.

"All right. You guys have your...secret weapons?" Yusuke questioned with an evil smirk.

"Oh yeah." All of the guys nodded as they patted their pockets in confidence.

"Great! Okay, time to win two times in a row guys!" Yusuke gave them a thumbs up.

_**Challenge Time...**_

"All right both teams ready?" Johnny announced as he viewed both team A's suited up on opposite sides of the room and ready for action.

"Yeah!" Both teams cheered as they hid behind blocks and inside tubes ready to strike.

"All right, let's get started. Ready...GO!" Johnny sounded his horn indicating the start of round one for the A teams.

"Now!" Yusuke whispered to his team as they all reached into their pockets and pulled out their secret weapons...the said activators to Kurama's flower nectar...Tag body spray. And then...all hell broke loose.

"All right girls let's do it!" Keiko started as she gripped her gun and aimed down-range. That was until..."Yeah let's...do...it..." Her tone changed drastically, almost to a husky tone as a coy smirk found it's way to her lips.

"Oh, we are definitely going to do it." Catherine added as she lowered her eye lids and eyed the men from afar.

"Come on girls, shoot already!" Kagome shouted.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) They were just standing there. I didn't get it! That was until Botan did the most disgusting thing I've ever seen...**

"Come to mama!" Botan shouted as she ran down-range headed straight for her target. The look on her face both hungry and sultry as she surprisingly managed to dodge the boys' fire and dove onto her 'dream boy!'

"Whoa!" Kuwabara squealed as Botan dove onto him accidentally pulling her trigger and taking him out of the game in the process. "What! No way! Argggh, get off of me!"

"Oh I'm gonna get off all right!" Botan teased as she straddled the orange-haired boy's waist.

"HUH!" Kuwabara gulped.

"Ew gross!" Cagalli shielded her eyes.

"Uh-oh." Kurama sighed.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Perhaps we overdid it. I forgot how wild women get when they become aroused. Trust me, the commercials are not an exaggeration. I speak from experience. SIGHS**

"Kuwabara, you're out!" Johnny announced, cocking his eye towards the display before him.

"Oh thank GOD!" Kuwabara shouted as he ran as far away from the challenge as possible. Two minutes had passed by now, and the chaos had yet to ensue.

"Oh BLEEP! Winry snap out of it!" Ed backed away, forgetting all about the challenge and shooting at the approaching drooling girl.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Maybe we made a mistake...NERVOUS LAUGH**

"Come here you!" Winry pounced on the shorter boy, also pulling the trigger as she did so and taking him out of the game.

"Damn it!" Ed groaned as he tried harshly to push a straddling Winry off of him. "Man, what the hell were we thinking?"

"Ed, out!" Johnny called.

"Thanks!" Ed called back sarcastically as he managed to flip Winry off of him and ran far away from the girl.

"But sugar bear!" Winry started to run after him.

"No Winry, stay there! Oh, never mind." Kagome sighed as she witnessed Yusuke take Winry out of the game.

"Winry, you're out!" Johnny announced, however Winry didn't seem to care much as she continued to run after Ed.

"Don't just stand there! Help me!" Ed called towards his other teammates, who could do nothing but look on in pure shock.

"Sango please, take your time." Miroku, who was on his back with a very excited Sango hovering over him, said with a slick grin.

"But I want you now!" Sango pouted.

"In due time." Miroku winked.

"Damn it Miroku! Now's your chance!" Inuyasha shouted from the sidelines.

"Huh? Oh, right." Miroku grabbed his laser gun and aimed it at Sango's vest before pulling the trigger taking Sango out.

"Sango! Sango you're out! SANGO!" Johnny called.

"WHAT!" Sango snapped, baring her teeth like a man-eating predator not willing to share it's freshly killed meat.

"Err...y-you're out." Johnny answered a little afraid of what the woman would do.

"GRR." She growled.

"No worries Sango, if you go over there and sit quietly I promise to..." Miroku brought her ear down to his lips as he whispered something. By her expression it was obviously something inappropriate.

"Oh stop it Miroku!" Sango playfully hit Miroku on the chest with her gun, accidently pulling the trigger and taking him out of the game. "Oopsie." She giggled.

"You're out Miroku!" Johnny called.

"It's probably just as well!" Miroku stated fervidly as he draped a giggling Sango over his shoulder and ran out of the old rec center.

"Oh, my GOD! What the HELL is going on!" Faye shouted towards the boys who all just shrugged innocently. She looked onto the floor and growled as she witnessed Duo get taken out by an inexplicably lovestruck Hilde, Vash who had forfeited the game after being tackled by an extremely aggressive Meryl, and Kiba who seemed to have a mental hold on Cheza as he took her out of the game and it wasn't long after Keiko in her struggles of passion with Yusuke slipped up and took the white wolf out of the game as well.

"Kiba you're out!"

"Damn it!" Kiba growled. Five minutes and twenty three seconds were on the clock now.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I knew those bastards were up to something! Ugh! They make me sick!**

"Easy Faye, it's just a game." Spike smiled warmly towards the steaming woman.

"Don't you give me that...th-that...l-look. I'm warn...warning..." Faye trailed as her eyes rested upon Spike's smiling form.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) A woman is easy to defeat, but a lovestruck woman is an even easier target! Oh yes, we're dirty boys. And everybody knows how dirty boys get clean. WINKS**

"Kira, Lacus, you're out! Relena you too!" Johnny called towards the three, Kira trotted towards his team with lipstick prints all across his face as Lacus straightened her hair and skort before winking towards the boy and strutting back towards her team followed by a rather tipsy looking Relena.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) I didn't know whether to be happy that I scored, or upset that I lost. If you know what I mean. WINKS**

"This competition has gone nuts!" Pan shouted as she balled her fists up under her chin in frustration. "What have you boys done!"

"Nothing much." Hiei smirked towards the small girl.

"Nothing much? Do you see...what's...oh no..." Pan trailed as she stared at the Fire demon.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I swear they won't get away with this!**

"Hey mousey, watch out!" Ryoko teased Trowa as she flew towards him, easily dodging the shots from him and the other members of his team. "You're mine!"

**Trowa: Gundam Wing (Guys) I had to pick the space pirate. SIGHS**

Swirling in the air, she tackled him to the ground, setting off her gun and taking him out. She continued to nuzzle his hair.

"Trowa you're out."

"Thank you Johnny!" Trowa called back flatly.

"No he's mine!" Catherine and Serena were fighting over Koga as they ran towards the wolf demon.

"Whoa ladies, ladies. There's enough of me to go around. Trust me, you can have me after we win!" Koga aimed for both girls' vest but was knocked down by the passion-filled struggle between Keiko and Yusuke. "Whoa!"

"Damn it Keiko!" Yusuke grunted.

"Mine!" Both Catherine and Serena pounced. The blonde meatball head clumsily pulling her trigger and taking out both Koga and Catherine in the process.

"Oops." Serena shrugged.

"Koga, Catherine, that's it!" Johnny called. Seven minutes and fourty four seconds were on the clock now.

"Damn women!" Koga griped as Catherine clung to his side.

Botan who had finally decided to come back to the game, sided with the remaining seven girls on her team against the guys' six.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Surprisingly the girls were winning! That wasn't part of the plan! The plan was to have them distracted while we took them out one by one! What the BLEEP man!**

"I see you!" Ayame crooned towards Tsume as she aimed her gun and with a seductive wink took him out of the game.

"Ugh! How do you work this damn thing!" Tsume griped as he tried to work his gun, but was too late.

"Tsume you're out!" Johnny called, to which Tsume threw down his gun and vest as he stormed away mumbling incoherently.

"Oh finally!" Yusuke finally took Keiko out.

"Keiko!"

"Yeah, I know. Don't keep me waiting too long, Yusuke." Keiko winked seductively towards the boy who could do nothing but gulp. Her beautiful brown eyes had him transfixed for so long that he didn't notice Botan coming up to his side and taking him out of the game.

"Damn." Yusuke sighed.

"Out!" Johnny called.

"Heero, Goten it's up to you guys!" Kira shouted but quickly changed his tune as he witnessed Android 18 take out Goten immediately. "Well, Heero, anyway." Kira sighed. Nine minutes had passed by now.

Heero was hiding within one of the tubes as he crawled towards the nearest girl, Meryl. Shooting he immediately took her out. Botan was next in line as he used his stealth skills and took the blue-haired girl out. He then set his sights on Serena.

"Come on man!" Duo called to his teammate as he tried to fend off Hilde who wouldn't stop nibbling on his ear. "Jeez!" He shivered.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Man, who's idea was this anyway?**

Heero was about to strike down Serena until...

"Boo!" Ryoko called from above him as she shot at his vest taking him out and winning the round for the ladies. The girls could do nothing but cheer and jump up and down. Hugging and kissing the 'objects of their fabricated affections' who were less than happy by the end results.

"Winner of round one, ladies!" Johnny announced intensifying the girls' cheers even further.

"What the BLEEP just happened?" Dearka gritted towards his other teammates.

"I think you guys just lost." Miriallia answered innocently.

"Hey, maybe we should lay off the Tag huh?" Athrun suggested to Hiei quietly.

"Agreed." Hiei nodded.

"Alright team B's let's go!" Johnny instructed.

"Kick some ass." Yusuke encouraged as he and the rest of team A, lent their vests to team B, and therin lied their mistake...

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Oh yeah, we sprayed the Tag on the vests...oops. Our bad. SHRUGS**

The competition was a disaster as the the boys' team B ended up having to defend themselves from the 'girls gone COMPLETELY wild.' Sachiya and Pan had gotten into a fight over a certain Fire Demon, who not only got taken out by the saiyan girl, but was also her main target for 'on-the-spot-lovin'.' Athrun was totally embarrassed by Cagalli as she insisted on calling him her 'blue-haired pooky.' Dearka couldn't get Miriallia off of his back...literally. And Kurama, who was too afraid to turn down Yukina for fear of her brother's wrath, could do nothing but take her incessant petting. (A/N: Errr...the clean kind folks XD). The challenge was finally over and in favor of the unexpected.

"Well guys, it was a good challenge today. Sachiya read off the scores for us please."

"Why certainly Johnny, for the men we have a final score of 2700, and for the ladies a final score of 2300. Still trailing girls, however the winner for today's challenge and the Sony mini DVD player including the greatest movie ever made (A/N: Come on now folks, you have to admit!) Napolean Dynamite, gaining a total of 160 points for their team, ladies!" The girls then cheered. "Chibi Wolf Hero goes to...Faye!" Faye then strut her way to the front to receive her prize.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I don't believe this! We BLEEP lost!**

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) Things didn't exactly go the way that we had planned it. We'll just leave it at that.**

Eliminations had gone by as usual. Unfortunately the boys ended up having to let Toboe go...nothing more depressing then the sound of a disappointed wolf howling. And the girls finally found some backbone and released Relena. Tears were shed, yet they were immediately brightened once the girls decided to reveal a very dirty secret.

"Sorry to see you go Relena." Johnny sighed.

"Oh it's all right. True, I will miss my team dearly. However, I must say, at least we went out with a bang. Right ladies?" Relena winked towards the girls as they clung to their 'sweeties.'

"Mmmhmmm." They were smiling rather deviously, which disturbed the boys even further...if that was even possible.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Something didn't feel right. And I'm a wolf, my senses are keen and it's rather easy for me to pick up on the scent of bull BLEEP! And those girls reeked of it!**

"What the hell's going on?" Yusuke quirked an eyebrow as Keiko wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Why Yusuke, dear, whatever do you mean?" Keiko crooned innocently.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) You're not gonna believe this, but umm... SIGHS**

"Should we tell them ladies?" Hilde regarded her female companions as she gently combed her fingers through Duo's darkened tresses.

"Tell us what?" Duo's eyes narrowed.

"Err, something you girls want to share?" Johnny breathed.

"I know one thing, I definitely have no intentions of SHARING my man! Get off of him you nympho!" Sachiya growled towards Pan who had her arm hooked through a very uncomfortable Hiei.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I swear, that girl has some SERIOUS issues!**

"I think we should." Blue smiled as she nuzzled Hige's neck.

"Nah, let's not." Miriallia cocked her head to the side as she piggy-backed Dearka nuzzling his ear.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) They're just so cute when they're confused. SLY SMIRK**

"Spill it already!" Yzak yelled impatiently, as he roughly brushed Fllay's hand out of his hair for the fifty millionth time.

"Oh you boys are so..." Faye began in a sultry tone as she and Julia teasingly walked their fingers up Spike's chest towards his neck, chin and finally his head where they both gave him a good...thumping...

"...STUPID!"

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Dun, dun, dun!**

_**To Be Continued...**_

A/N: Gee, I wonder what's going to happen next. Hmm. Truly I just stopped here because the chapter got hella long. I mean DAMN, I didn't mean to write this much. This is overbearing! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and the next update will probably be sooner being that half of it is already finished anyway. (It was originally going to be a part of this update but I said, "oh HELL no this is WAY too long!" :-P). In the next chapter I'll also try to put in some of the stuff that I ended up having to take out because of the chapter's lengthyness (i.e when the boys' Team B and the girls' Team B go head to head.) That was extremely funny, and I truly didn't wanna take it out, but I'll just put it in the next chapter in the preview portion. So until the next update, Laterz!


	7. You Light My Fire!

A/N: Sup! Guess what time it is...UPDATE TIME! Yay! I left you guys with a little bit of a cliffhanger there, hope ya don't hate me _too_ much. :-P. Guess what, I was gonna update this fic a few of days ago, but DAMN it was hot, so I got incredibly lazy for the next few days. I mean you know when it's so hot to the point where you just don't wanna do jack? I mean the type of hot where you sweat when you're not even doing anything. We would cut the air on, but we're cheap so, you know it's either the AC or Cable...Hmm. Tough ultimatum, eh? It's these damn crackhead gas prices! UGH! Anyway on top of not being really motivated to write (remember my 3m's) I spent most of my time in shameless desperation of trying to beat GTA: San Andreas. Unfortunely, I'm stuck on _Supply Lines_, those of you who have the game can feel my pain right now. :-( Enough rambling, here's chapter 7, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** :yawns: Do I really even have to tell you? Okay, fine...I don't own them...happy now?

**Note: **You may not wanna skip over the "previously on battle of the sexes" part because that bit where the team B's compete (the one I had to cut out of the last chapter because it was too long) is in there...just to bring to your attention. Hopefully you're actually reading this and not skipping over it, otherwise...you're screwed.

**Warning: **When I say Update, damn it I mean UPDATE! Another long chapter guys! Hate it or love it!

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 7: You Light My Fire!**

_**Previously, on Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style...**_

_**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It was a rather intelligent plan if I would say so myself. So utterly frightening, yet something about it almost seemed...poetically cruel. EVIL SMIRK...**_

_"...See, now all that time you spent fussing we could've been working on a way to prepare for this!" Pan shouted angrily towards Dorothy, who surprisingly said nothing._

_"Not to worry girls, more than likely, they're coming in here to get those pictures. So Hilde and I thought this up..." Keiko began as she and the rest of the girls huddled together..._

_"Who is it?" Faye asked in a most annoyed tone._

_"Kurama." Kurama's voice was soft and muffled from the other side._

_"What do you want, and if you say something like 'a truce' I swear I'll kick your ass!" Faye spat._

_"No, nothing like that. However, we do need to have a talk. Being that I am the most rational of my teammates, it has been decided that I be the one to have the talk with you ladies." Kurama stated humbly..._

_"...Fine, whatever." Faye sighed as she opened the door. Not seconds before she noticed that Kurama had a camouflage print bandana covering his nose and mouth, did a clear mist fill throughout the villa causing her and the other girls to cough violently._

_"K-Kurama!" Botan coughed out as she witnessed the strange plant within his hand emitting the strange mist._

_"What are you..." Faye trailed but was soon silenced as she immediately went into a trance along with the rest of the girls..._

_**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It's my very own creation. A plant that's enzymes act as a powerful hypnotic and mind control substance. Whomever is exposed is virtually helpless and at their 'master's' mercy. Oh but it didn't stop there, no I had much more under my sleeve...we all did. EVIL CHUCKLE...**_

_**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) We had it all figured out! Nothing was going to stop us! HAHA We were unstoppable! Victory was ours! Nothing could've gone wrong! Why do we men always bite off more than we can chew? AWKWARD SILENCE...**_

_"...So what are we doing?" Cagalli asked._

_"Well guys, today's challenge will prove to be both fun and simple." Johnny began. Just then Sachiya entered with a rack of silver spacesuit looking vest with guns hooked to the side. "Ladies and gentlemen, today you will be competing in the classic game of Laser Tag!" Johnny exclaimed to which everyone basically seemed satisfied with..._

_"...The winner for today's challenge will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero and this for their entire team," Johnny regarded Sachiya who unveiled the challenge prize. Again the 'ooh's' and 'ahh's' said it all, the prize was delicious. "a Sony mini DVD player complete with headset, DVD case and the latest movie out on DVD Napoleon Dynamite!" _

_"We gotta pep it up girls." Faye regarded her team who all nodded in determined agreement._

_"This challenge is perfect guys." Yusuke whispered to his team who all nodded in agreement with knowing smirks on their faces..._

_"...Alright team B's get ready." Johnny nodded towards both teams on each end of the room as he prepared to sound his horn._

_"Hey guys, check out the girls." Dearka pointed towards Faye and her team as they continued to wink and blow kisses towards the guys seductively._

_"Strange, we didn't spray the activator." Toboe gulped._

_"BLEEP, but Yusuke's crack team did! It's on the BLEEP vests!" Not moments after Spike's shocking revelation did Johnny sound his horn and the girls charged...literally._

_**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) Nothing frightens me. However, having young Dorothy eye me the way that she was...PAUSES...I would rather not discuss it.**_

_"Bra, I'm warning you!" Android 17 held up his gun frantically._

_"Come here sweetcakes!" Bra sang._

_"Shoot her you fool!" Hiei griped as he was preoccupied with dodging Pan's rather aggressive advances._

_**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I'm usually the one to back Kurama's plans, but this was by far the worst plan yet! I didn't know what was worse, Pan casting off moon eyes or Sachiya casting off a psychotic combination of death glares and swoons. SHUDDERS**_

_Wufei knew that Sally was headed for him, and so he made quick with retrieving his weapon. "Oh BLEEP!" He breathed frantically as she gained distance. He could hear his other teammates cheering him on, and he really could've punched Yusuke and the others for not spraying the said 'activators' on their skin instead of the vests. "Idiots!" He aimed for the charging woman, but was thrown off as Dearka stumbled into him from having Miriallia's weight on his back._

_"Damn it Mir!" Dearka shouted as the impact set off her gun taking him out of the game._

_"Aw, is Dearka upset? I make it better." Miriallia crooned in a baby voice._

_"Man, this is ridiculous." Johnny sighed as he witnessed Wufei and Sally take one another out of the game. "Wufei, Sally, and Dearka...that's it!" He shouted._

_**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I take full responsibility for everything that happened in today's challenge. In english...I'm BLEEP pissed off! FOLDS ARMS AND POUTS**_

_Toboe scored points for his team as he took out an enthralled Leara. "Man, those mind control seeds are awesome Kurama!" Toboe cheered until he witnessed Yzak trying to fend off a totally gone wild Fllay._

_"Ha ha! You know I like it rough right Yzak?" Fllay sang as she danced around the once silver-haired boy, dodging his gunfire._

_"Come on Yzak, you're off your game man!" Dearka yelled._

_"Damn it! Shut up, I'm trying alright!" Yzak gritted as he struggled to get Fllay off of his back._

_**Toboe: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Ooh...never mind. We screwed up big time. DEPRESSED**_

_"Yukina please, not in front of Hiei!" Kurama pleaded._

_"Oh, I'm not worried about Hiei." Yukina said huskily as she playfully crept around Kurama._

_"You touch her you die, fox!" Hiei growled as he and Pan played an annoying game of cat and mouse. Speedy Gonzalez mouse, that is._

_"But you-"_

_"DIE!" Hiei reiterated harshly._

_**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) One must wonder why he entrusted me with Yukina to begin with. Honestly, Hiei can be so completely unorthodox at times.**_

**_Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) _Anyone's_ better than that once orange-haired fool! Hn! BROODS_**

_"Spike, you're out of there!" Johnny called._

_"That's not fair, I've got two hot chicks after me!" Spike whined._

_"Yeeah, and that's bad, _why_?" Johnny mocked._

_"GRR! Damn you women!" Spike shouted._

_"You know you like it Spikey." Julia teased._

_"Yeah, stop being such a prude." Faye added as she discreetly aimed behind her back taking an Aeka-preoccupied Trunks out of the game._

_"Trunks you're out!" Johnny called._

_"What? Who?" Trunks looked around in surprise. He then casted Aeka a dirty look._

_"Why, don't look at me. After all, you know where _my_ hands were, and they most definitely were nowhere near the trigger. Hehe, at least not on the _gun_ that is." Aeka replied with an innocent wink causing Trunks to blush shamelessly._

_"You...you...stupid, FEMALE!" Trunks pouted as he retreated to the side with the rest of his team._

_"YUKINA!" Kurama squealed suddenly as her hand went towards a naughty area. He nervously fired his gun and took the blue-haired ice maiden out of the game._

_"Oh...poo." Yukina feigned disappointment, poking out her bottom lip in a pouting motion as she retreated to the side blowing a kiss towards a blushing Kurama._

_**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I don't understand it, my plans never backfire! They're always successful, because I'm incredibly intelligent! And I have perfect hair! FLIPS HIS BLACK TRESSES VAINLY**_

_"Stay puppy!" Blue crooned as she booty bumped Hige against the wall, skillfully setting off her trigger as she did, taking the chubby wolf out of the game._

_"Aw BLEEP!" He groaned as he slowly dragged to the side with the rest of his team._

_**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) That stupid bitch! And, I don't mean that in a bad way. If you think about it...technically, she is a bitch. SMIRKS**_

_"That's it! We are SO over Cagalli!" Athrun shouted as he was taken out by the small blonde directly after he had succeeded in excluding Dorothy, relieving Sesshomaru of his burden._

_"Aw, you don't mean that do you?" Cagalli casted off her puppy dog eyes as she discreetly reached behind her back taking Toboe out of the game._

_"Hey!" Toboe whined as he exited the playing area._

_**Toboe: Wolf's Rain (Guys) No fair! And I was just about to help Inuyasha and take out Kagome! POUTS**_

_"Damn it Kagome, would you knock it off!" Inuyasha growled._

_"I knew it! You're thinking about _her_ aren't you?" Kagome covered her face to hide tears._

_"_Her _Her _who_?" Inuyasha cocked an eye._

_"_Kikyo_, you dummy!" Kagome shouted._

_"Huh?" Inuyasha trailed._

**_Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) Rule number one fellas. When she asks you if you're thinking about another chick, just reply with a simple _"huh"_ as it gives you time to think up a believable lie, because nine times out of ten...we are._**

_"OOOH!" Kagome fumed squeezing her fists to her sides, pulling the trigger 'accidently,' and taking him out of the game. "Oops."_

_"Oops my ass, you did that BLEEP on purpose!" Inuyasha grumbled as he stormed off towards the side with the rest of his team._

_"Sorry." Kagome innocently shrugged as she proceeded to play the game. "Think fast Kurama!" Kagome did a tumble roll and aimed straight for the former red-head taking him out as well. "Score!"_

_"Yeah Kagome!" Botan shouted from the sidelines as she and the other girls cheered their teammates on._

_"BLEEP! You BLEEPING BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP!" Kurama growled._

_"Wow Kurama, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Hilde teased from the sidelines._

_"BLEEP you!" Kurama shouted stunning his other teammates as he retreated from the game tossing off his game gear angrily._

_**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Whoever thought that goodie two-shoes Kurama would out-cuss me! He was really pissed though. I guess he felt like the whole thing was his fault. Which it was, but hey...we all BLEEP up every now and then right?**_

_Yzak had finally managed to take both Fllay and Miriallia out of the game and proceeded to join Android 17, Sesshomaru and Hiei in the attempt to win the round for their team._

_**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) We had to win as a means to heal the wounds of humiliation and embarrassment. This is what happens when you entrust Naturals to plan your attacks for you. PAUSES AS SOMEONE FROM BEHIND THE CAMERA MOUTHS SOMETHING TO HIM What do you mean he's not a Natural? Then what the hell is he? PAUSE Demon? PAUSE In a human's body? ANOTHER PAUSE. What the BLEEP!**_

_"Gotcha!" Android 17 said as he took Cagalli out of the game._

_"Did you forget about me?" Bra teased as she took Android 17 out._

_"You should watch your back, girl." Sesshomaru stated as he took Bra out._

_"And you should watch yours." Faye exclaimed as she took out the former silver-haired demon._

_"Damn." Sesshomaru growled as he retreated._

_"GRRRR!" Yzak shouted out as he went berserk and took out Aeka, Julia, and Kagome, leaving behind Blue, Faye and Pan._

_"Hey Yzak!" Fllays voice sounded from the side causing him to turn his head._

_"WHAT!" He shouted angrily only to have a lovely view of Fllay's exposed chest._

_"Fllay!" Miriallia exclaimed in surprise._

_"Whoa..." Yzak and Hiei both stopped in their tracks._

_Faye saw this as her chance as she proceeded to take out the former silver-haired Coordinator and his Fire Demon teammate._

_"BLEEP!" Yzak shouted as he slammed his Laser Tag gear onto the floor and stormed over towards his team._

_Noticing Johnny's stunned expression, Sachiya decided to snap her fingers in front of his eyes in order to bring him back to life. "Yo! Johnny! Game's over man!"_

_"Yes, the game...right." Johnny shook his head._

_"Fllay you are SO bad." Bra whispered playfully to her teammate._

_"Yes, I know. It's part of what makes my character so adorable." She prided..._

_"...For the men we have a final score of 2700, and for the ladies a final score of 2300. Still trailing girls, however the winner for today's challenge and the Sony mini DVD player including the greatest movie ever made Napolean Dynamite, gaining a total of 160 points for their team, ladies!" The girls then cheered. "Chibi Wolf Hero goes to...Faye!" _

_...Unfortunately the boys ended up having to let Toboe go...nothing more depressing then the sound of a disappointed wolf howling. And the girls finally found some backbone and released Relena... _

_"Sorry to see you go Relena." Johnny sighed._

_"...Oh it's all right. True, I will miss my team dearly. However, I must say, at least we went out with a bang. Right ladies?" Relena winked towards the girls as they clung to their 'sweeties...'_

_**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Something didn't feel right. And I'm a wolf, my senses are keen and it's rather easy for me to pick up on the scent of bull BLEEP! And those girls reeked of it!**_

_"...What the hell's going on?" Yusuke quirked an eyebrow as Keiko wrapped her arms around his waist..._

_"...Spill it already!" Yzak yelled impatiently, as he roughly brushed Fllay's hand out of his hair for the fifty millionth time._

_"Oh you boys are so..." Faye began in a sultry tone as she and Julia teasingly walked their fingers up Spike's chest towards his neck, chin and finally his head where they both gave him a good...thumping... _

_"...STUPID!"_

"Hey!" Spike flinched.

"Okay, what the hell?" Ed growled.

Suddenly the doors to the old recreational center flew open as an extra camera crew along with a guy in a baseball cap, t-shirt and jeans trotted in laughing and pointing at the boys. He finally made it towards the girls and slapped five with Hilde, Keiko, Blue, Cheza, and Yukina.

"Wait, I know you." Dearka began.

"Ashton Kutcher?" Duo shouted in surprise.

"Boys, you just got Punk'd!" Ashton and the girls announced in unison as they laughed until their sides began to hurt.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) What the BLEEP, man!**

"Man, you guys should have seen your faces!" Meryl chuckled.

"Hey, somebody wanna explain to me what the hell is going on!" Kuwabara shouted as he balled his fists to his sides.

"I think I should take this one." Blue began.

"Blue?" Hige cocked an ear.

"Please, do share." Sachiya leaned in, she was just as confused as the boys.

"Well, it all started when I was chilling out on the beach the other day..." Blue began her story.

_Blue laid out on the warm sand listening as the ocean beat against the shore. She couldn't help but laugh to herself as the human boys passed by her eying her flirtatiously. If they only knew they were flirting with a wolf. "Men. No matter the species, they're all incredibly dense." Blue chuckled. Just then her ears perked as they caught onto the sound of distant voices. Distant _familiar_ voices._

_"...I know that will help us retrieve the photographs from the girls, _and_ ensure our victory in the next challenge." That was Kurama's voice._

_"What the hell?" Blue cocked her head as if to hear the conversation better._

_"Yeah but, brainwash?" Came Yusuke's voice._

_"It's not brainwash, it's a love spell. It will put them so deeply under our thrall that they will be helpless to notice anything else other than us." Kurama explained._

_"You mean like hypnosis?" Came Kira's voice._

_"Somewhat, yes." Kurama answered._

_"Ah, I get it. Ooh, I have an idea of how to help out with that." Kira began._

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Girls) With my sensitive hearing, I was able to listen in on the guys' conversation and henceforth got their plan to hypnotize us and then put us under a love spell. So naturally I warned my teammates.**

_"HYPNOTIZE US! You've gotta be kidding me!" Faye shouted._

_"Quiet Faye, I'm sure that if I could listen in on them, the other wolves could hear us with no problem as well." Blue held her finger to her lips to ensure silence._

_"That's no problem. They will have to get in first." Aeka prided._

_"Right princess, your barrier." Ryoko added._

_"That won't be enough. Sooner or later, your barrier may give. We need a backup plan that counters theirs." Keiko exclaimed._

_"This one could be of some assistance." Cheza offered._

_"Yes, and I could help as well." Yukina added._

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Girls) So Cheza and Yukina decided to concoct a remedy that would allow us to be immune to Kurama's plants. And Hilde and I pretty much ran away with the whole _Oscar Performance_ idea from there! GIGGLES**

"So wait, let me get this straight!" Yusuke began as he held his hand up in front of him. "You chicks were acting the entire time?"

"DUH!" The girls chorused.

"And the _Academy Award_ goes to..." Winry chimed as the rest of the girls burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh hell." Miroku sighed.

"Oh and by the way, those pictures you 'stole,' are yours to keep because we still have the originals." Cagalli added. "It's called ordering doubles you retards!"

"D'oh!" Kurama slapped his forehead.

"But Heero and I heard you girls freaking out this morning!" Dearka added.

"Another _Oscar_ winning performance." Aeka smiled.

"We knew you were spying on us, I could smell you!" Blue laughed.

"So wait, where do _you_ come in?" Kiba pointed towards Ashton Kutcher.

"Who me? Oh I had nothing to do with this. I'm just here 'cause this BLEEP is hella funny! You girls did an awesome job!" Ashton chuckled.

"Why thank you Ashton." Lacus nodded.

"Hey, if you guys would just like, sign this release form so-" Ashton was cut off as Hiei, used his darkness technique, burning him to a cinder.

"Oh my God, he killed Ashton Kutcher!" Hilde shouted.

"You bastard!" Pan yelled.

"Hn."

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) How dare he ask us to sign the release. Foolish trucker hat-wearing human. He won't be punking anyone else ever again. Celebrities can now do stupid BLEEP without worrying if it will be broadcast nationwide, but instead now only worry about the usual cops and feds on their ass. You hear that Hollywood...you owe me. REMOVES HIS CAMOUFLAGE HEADBAND AND PROCEEDS TO HYPNOTIZE VIEWING PUBLIC**

**Off Camera Director: Fade to black damn it! Fade to black! CAMERA GOES BLACK**

"I don't get it, the point was to have you girls under a love spell to distract you from winning the game, how the hell did you manage to kick OUR asses?" Vash scratched his head.

"Well, that was easy," Keiko began. "you boys were so preoccupied with our sultry advances that in truth it was YOU who was too distracted to win. We had it all figured out from the beginning."

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Girls) Bottom line, men are slow.**

"Honestly Kurama, of all of the ideas to concur and destroy...why a love spell?" Serena cocked an eye.

"Well to be perfectly honest, the idea came to me in the form of...a song." Kurama scratched the back of his head nervously.

"A song?" Keiko arched an eyebrow.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Indeed, and quite an exquisite song it is.**

_**The other day in White Shore...**_

_**"...Let me help you, take off your shoes. Untie your shoe-strings, take off your cufflinks. What you want to eat boo? Let me feed you. Let me run your bathwater, whatever you desire, I'll aspire..."**_

_"Damn what I've said in the past about Naturals, this one I am _definitely_ willing to learn a little tolerance for." Yzak smirked as he, Dearka, Kurama, Hiei, Heero and Wufei sat in the living area watching music videos. The current showing of Destiny's Child "Cater 2 U" strongly drawing his undivided attention towards the infamous lead singer._

_"Yzak, I'm appalled, _you_, drooling over _Natural _chicks now?" Dearka teased as he watched the video intently._

_"Oh, this woman is _no_ Natural." Yzak mused. "She...is a goddess." Yzak stated firmly._

_"Hn." Hiei huffed. His eye strayed slightly towards Kurama and he couldn't help the raising of his brows at the other's expression._

_"Hmm." Kurama hummed._

_"What are you thinking, fox?" Hiei questioned bluntly._

_"These beauties have enlightened me." Kurama breathed._

_"Enlightened you?" Dearka huffed. "To what, an extra five minutes in the bathroom?" Dearka chuckled._

_"No. A way to obtain infinite victory in this contest." Kurama stroked his chin in deep thought, the song then progressed to the chorus._

_**"Let me cater to you, 'cause baby this is your day. Do anything for my man, baby you blow me away. I got your slippers, your dinner, your dessert, and so much more. Anything you want, just let me cater to you..."**_

_"Now, _that's_ what women are made for." Wufei commented. "Our _competition_ could learn something from them." He finished flinching slightly once Kurama snapped his fingers and abruptly stood to his feet trotting towards the stairs quickly brushing past Tsume on the way._

_"What's with him?" The gray wolf grimly questioned earning empty shrugs from the music video-distracted males in the room._

_"He's experiencing 'enlightenment.'" Heero answered flatly._

_"Or just going to jerk off!" Dearka teased as he stretched out on the couch and watched the remainder of the video._

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Hold the phone!" Hilde held up her hands. "You got the idea to put us under a love spell from...Destiny's Child?"

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Girls) I think Kurama's doing more than just _growing _his "special" plants, ladies and gentlemen. BLANK FACE**

"Kurama, I thought that you were smarter than _that_!" Botan huffed.

"To even _fathom_ the thought of us stooping to Destiny's Child's level further shed's light upon the stupidty of the male gender as a whole!" Cagalli growled.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Girls) Morons!**

"And as punishment for even THINKING about hypnotizing us and putting us under a love spell, we've brought back an old friend!" Bra began, smirking evilly along with the rest of her team.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) GULP!**

"Oh Tiiiiigre!" The girls crooned as the giant, "overly friendly" Great White shark burst through the doors, wobbling on his fins as he proceeded towards the guys.

"My boys!" Tigre exclaimed with glee as he extended his fins as if to hug them.

"AHHHHHH!" The boys all screamed in unison.

**Koga: Inuyasha (Guys) Those crazy bitches!**

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I had a feeling that they would make us pay, however I had no idea that it would be the reintroduction of that beast of the sea, who somehow was mysteriously walking and surviving on land, into our lives.**

The boys all scattered as they crowded for the emergency exit, Tigre gaining on their heels and further terrorizing the hell out of them with his words. "My little krill muffins are fleeing!" Tigre whined as he continued to chase behind the boys.

"That's it girls! The gloves are off!" Yusuke shouted as he frantically ran away from Tigre with the rest of his team.

"They've been off from the beginning ya dumbass!" Faye yelled back.

"But Sesshomaru, crabcake, I thought we had a connection before!" Tigre called out to the now black-haired demon as he continued to chase behind the guys.

"You _will_ keep your distance, you fiend!" Sesshomaru gritted as he hurriedly fled with the rest of his team bursting a hole through the wall as they made their way down towards the beach.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Girls) Oh yeah, this game is SO ours!**

"Alright ladies!" Hilde cheered along with the rest of the girls who remained in the recreational center.

"So, you girls aren't really in love with the guys?" Sachiya confirmed.

"Hell no, _me_ in love with that broody tea-cup poodle, please!" Pan chuckled.

"Don't talk about Hiei that way!" Sachiya fumed.

"Hey, I'll talk about him anyway I want!" Pan yelled back facing the purple-haired girl.

"Oh yeah?"

"YEAH!"

"LADIES!" Johnny intervened. "Enough, Sachiya let's go." Johnny exited the recreational center.

"Hiei is mine!" She exclaimed as she trailed behind Johnny.

"You can _have _the little bloodsucker!" Pan shouted.

"Why you-"

"Come on Sachiya!" Johnny pulled her by the ear out of the recreational center.

"Ow! The piercings! Watch the piercings!" The two disappeared out of the doors.

_**Evening in Starfish...**_

"...And did you see Spike's face when we thumped him?" Faye chuckled along with her team.

"Priceless!" Julia laughed until her sides began to hurt.

"And what was up with their decision making skills?" Ayame intercepted.

"What do you mean?" Keiko asked between laughs.

"Well, how they chose us, I mean...Tsume and me?" Ayame swallowed.

**Ayame: Inuyasha (Girls) What the BLEEP?**

"Yes, and that Trunks fellow choosing me?" Aeka half-laughed.

"Maybe, it's because you were the only one left, but Trowa has some explaining to do when we get a chance." Ryoko commented.

"I was more than certain that Koga would've chosen me but instead..." Kagome trailed.

"Me and Catherine!" Serena busted out laughing.

"I'm sure that's because Inuyasha probably threatened to kill him if he even so much as eyed you wrong." Sango chuckled.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Kagome laughed.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Girls) I swear, he's so possessive!**

"I always knew that Goten had a crush on me!" Android 18 bursted out laughing along with Bra and Pan.

"Well I already understand what was on Dearka's mind. That jerk!" Miriallia huffed.

"To be honest, what got me was Hiei choosing Pan! He went through with the 'binding' and everything!" Hilde teased the shorter girl.

"Ugh! Don't remind me! I still have "Hiei Tongue" after that crap! Where's my _Emmy_ damn it! I earned it!" Pan griped.

"I'd say we all did. I mean come on..._Yzak_? What the BLEEP?" Fllay gagged.

"Speaking of...Fllay...oh my GOD!" Miriallia began.

"What?" Fllay shrugged innocently.

"I can _not_ believe that you flashed Yzak and Hiei!" Miriallia gave the other girl a stern look.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Girls) Fllay's my friend and all, but in the back of my head I tend to envision her on the next _Girls Gone Wild _Videos. And I can't help but wonder why that is. FAKE DUMBFOUNDED LOOK**

"Actually, my intention was to only flash Yzak in order to distract him. Hiei just happened to be within flash-range. The results truly were futile." Fllay answered firmly.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Girls) Why is everyone always judging me? I'm just a poor little rich girl, scared and confused from the scars that have been inflicted upon my shallow yet complex soul as a result of the war. Cut me some BLEEP slack already! Geez!**

"You know what, I wanna do something!" Bra jumped up.

"I think the boys have had enough for one day, Bra." Catherine smirked.

"No, not to the boys. I mean, we should do something together! You know go out some place!" Bra suggested.

"Like where?" Leara raised.

"I dunno, we're in Daytona Beach Florida, there has to be _someplace_ to go!" Bra exclaimed.

"Hey, I remember some guys telling me the other day that they were heading to this dance club called _Razzle's_. Said it was the hottest spot here." Blue perked.

"You mean those same guys that were hitting on you when you went down to the beach?" Winry quirked a playful eye.

"Yeah, them." Blue chuckled.

"Cool, what time is it?" Kagome hopped from the couch.

"A quarter after six." Meryl answered.

"Great, that gives us plenty of time!" Bra added.

"Everybody in?" Faye turned to her team.

"This one will stay behind. Please, have a good time." Cheza sighed.

"Aw, come on Cheza." Blue begged.

"This one, would not feel comfortable in that sort of environment." Cheza informed softly.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Girls) Crowds of people, loud music, intoxicating liquids...trouble waiting to happen. This one would not be involved. No matter _how_ good This one's tolerance for alcohol is. GUILTY GRIN**

"Anyone else wanna sit this one out?" Bra looked around.

"I think that I'll stay with Cheza." Yukina raised.

"Oh, Yukina you too?" Keiko pouted.

"I'm sure that Cheza will want some company." Yukina justified.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Girls) Actually, I just didn't have anything to wear, or I totally would have gone. Gee, I have some shopping to do!**

"Oh alright, everyone else is in, right?" Bra looked around.

"Oh yeah!" The girls chorused as they all split in order to get prepared for some serious partying that night.

"This one, wonders how the boys are doing."

"Hmm." Yukina nodded.

_**Disturbing moments in White Shore HQ...**_

The entire villa was consumed in complete silence as the boys sat in their rather mangled and ruined military outfits. Compliments of one of the creepiest sharks since _Jaws._ They all just stared off into space, some fiddling with their hair noticing how the natural colors were beginning to come in at the roots.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It's one thing to lose. But to lose to females who fire your plans at victory into your face and then have a living nightmare chasing after you to do the gods know what, is unheard of. Except for maybe in Anime. _Then,_ you know, anything's possible.**

"This can never happen again." Yusuke regarded his team.

"No BLEEP Sherlock." Kuwabara released an exasperated sigh.

"I say we lay low from now on." Yusuke raised.

"What are you proposing?" Trowa asked.

"To put it simply...that we wallow in our sorrow and embarassment and concentrate on one thing, and one thing only." An evil smirk spread across Yusuke's face.

"One thing huh?" Heero cast him a knowing smirk.

"We defeat the girls at all costs. No more vendetta's, only slaughter from now on. We fight to the death...we win." Yusuke's eyes held a psychotic determined glow about them as he eyed his team who also had the same looks upon their faces.

"Right." Hiei nodded.

"Can I hear it platoon!" Yusuke shouted urging his 'platoon' to shout their trademark chant.

"OO-RAH!" The men barked.

"Fall out!" Yusuke commanded.

The boys all then split from the meeting to collect themselves.

"Never again, girls." Yusuke replied darkly.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) This is it, through my own blood, sweat, and tears, we men WILL prevail!**

_**Party Time at Razzle's...**_

"WHAT?" Hilde shouted back to Serena over the extra loud sound of a club mix of Rihanna's "Pon De Replay." She continued to dance with a hottie in the middle of the dance floor as she tried harshly to hear Serena over the music.

"I SAID, WHERE IS FAYE? I HAVE HER DRINK!" Serena shouted back as she too felt the music and began to subltly bob her head to the beat.

"OH, SHE'S OVER THERE!" Hilde pointed towards the table that they had chosen once they had all arrived. She furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed that the girl in question was no longer there.

"I DON'T SEE HER!" Serena shouted back as she shielded the _Strawberry Daquiri_ that Faye had requested from being bumped into from a rather wild dancing individual in front of her.

"ME NEITHER!" Hilde then bumped into Bra who was jamming to the music with a tanned-skinned hottie of her own.

"OOPS! MY BAD HIL!" Bra yelled her apology as she continued to grind against her dancing partner.

"IT'S OKAY! HEY, HAVE YOU SEEN FAYE?" Hilde questioned as the DJ skillfuly switched to the next song...Ying Yang Twins' "Wait (The Whisper Song)."

"ISN'T THAT HER OVER THERE?" Bra cocked a playful eye.

"OH. MY. GOD." Serena and Hilde both said in unison. Faye, who had made sure to dress hot for the night out in a red halter, black flared mini skirt and black _Espedrille's_ was executing a rather attention-drawing sexy table dance.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Girls) She couldn't have been drunk because I had her drink! I don't know what got into her!**

"HEY, YOU GUYS KNOW HER?" Bra's dance partner questioned the girls as if Faye were a celebrity.

"YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT! I'M THIRSTY LET'S TAKE A BREAK." Bra requested, seeming almost non-phased by Faye's little display as she and the guy disappeared within the crowd towards the bar.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Girls) She calls THAT a table dance! PUH-LEEZ! With THAT ass!Or should I say...NO-ass! I'm the queen of table entertainment damn it! HUFFS Amateur!**

"GUYS, DO YOU KNOW WHAT FAYE IS DOING?" A shocked Ayame ran up to both Serena and Hilde, the two of them unable to move as their eyes were glued upon Faye as she continued to maneuver in a way that was frighteningly similar to a stripper.

"FAYE!" Lacus managed to push her way through the surrounding crowd towards the edge of the table as she tried to wave the woman down. "FAYE, STOP THAT THIS INSTANT! WE ARE HERE TO HAVE FUN, NOT TO PERFORM FANSERVICE!"

"QUIET! THIS IS MY PART!" Faye yelled back as she proceeded to gyrate her hips once the song reached it's chorus...her "part."

"FAYE CUT IT OUT ALREADY!" Fllay shouted in an annoyed tone. "FOR CHRIST SAKE YOUR SHIFTING THE ATTENTION OFF OF ME!"

Winry, Leara and Lacus who were all trying their darnest to stop Faye could do nothing but stop and cast Fllay a blank stare.

"WHAT?" Fllay exclaimed.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Girls) What? I specifically wore my sluttiest outfit for attention drawing purposes. I had a right to be pissed! Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have every guy come by and pull the string loose from your tie-up halter just to have their attention pulled away by a table-dancing floozie? NO! I didn't think so!**

The song had long ended as Faye hopped down from the table pulling the bills out of her waistband. She had counted eighty five bucks. "Damn!" She chuckled to herself. She then shifted her gaze over towards Lacus. Her eyes narrowed in deep thought.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Girls) I knew it probably was a cruel idea, but I had managed to make eighty five bucks that night. I figured if I could pull off eighty five bucks, one could only IMAGINE how much sweet little Lacus could bring in.**

"Hey Lacus, why is Faye looking at you like that?" Winry whispered.

"I do _not_ know." Lacus whispered back as she bit her lower lip.

Suddenly Faye did something that the girls would never live down, especially Lacus. "HEY, YOU GUYS WANT MORE!" Faye shouted to the crowd who all expectantly responded with a bunch of manly "yeahs." Faye immediately trotted towards Lacus and lifted the pink-haired princess onto the table.

"FAYE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Lacus squeaked.

"OH COME ON PRINCESS, LIVE A LITTLE!" Faye pushed.

"I MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT DO WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING OF ME!" Lacus shouted back. The growing cheers of the crowd made her even more uncomfortable. Her eyes wandered throughout the crowd and she caught sight of a rather handsome looking guy. He gave her a suggestive wink over the dark lenses of his sunglasses, causing her to blush. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Lacus tried to get down but the crowd only pushed her back.

"COME ON, DO IT! LACUS! LACUS! LACUS!" Faye started a cheer for the pink-haired girl of which the crowd followed.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Girls) It was insanity! Completely immoral in every aspect! How could anyone expect a lady such as myself to do such a thing?**

"LACUS!" Faye shouted. "EITHER YOU DO IT OR MR. PINK GETS IT!" Faye held up the mechanical ball along with her trusted pistol.

"Haro! Haro!" The mechanical ball chimed.

"NO! MR. PINK!" Lacus cried out.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Girls) Oh, this was a good one! That damned thing get's on the entire house's nerves. Not only do we not understand what it's saying half the time but...it's just annoying! She owed us this much!**

"BUT FAYE!" Lacus cried.

"NO BUTS! EITHER YOU SHAKE YOUR ASS AND MAKE ENOUGH DOUGH TO BUY SOME KIND OF MUZZLE FOR THIS THING, OR IT'S SCRAP METAL!" Faye grimly promised.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Girls) How could she say such things? I thought that they all loved Mr. Pink! Oh the humanity! WHINES**

"OOOH." Lacus groaned. Looking between the crowd and her threatened Mr. Pink repeatedly, she came to a final decision. "FINE!"

"GOOD! MAKE THAT MONEY GIRL!" Faye cheered. "HIT IT DJ!"

The DJ obliged Faye's request and put on an appropriate record for the show...Jessica Simpson's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin.'"

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Girls) Of all of the songs to play, the DJ HAD to play THAT one!**

Heaving a sigh, Lacus proceeded to get the feel of the music and began to move her hips. Closing her eyes, she tried righteously to block out the sounds of "shake it mamas" and "I ain't never seen a ass like thats" that came from her male audience. She felt a hand in the waist band of her sunskirt. She opened one eye and was shocked to see the one hundred dollar bill stuffed into it. "This _has_ to be a mistake." She said to herself. She looked into the crowd and saw the same handsome guy from before winking at her knowingly.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Girls) Now it's highly out of character for me to get excited over money. But MY he was highly attractive! Heaven knows that I love Kira dearly but currently, we're at odd ends, and every girl knows that when you and your guy are at each other's throats, that it basically means "guy hunting" is a must, especially if he looks like THAT! Wooh! FANS HERSELF**

Something suddenly came over the pink-haired Coordinator, as the music got good to her and she moved her body more loosely and seductively as she sang along with the song teasingly towards all of the guys in the crowd; Especially the handsome guy who had been giving her the most attention throughout the duration of her little show.

"WOW! CHECK HER OUT!" Cagalli shouted over the music as she danced to herself.

"I KNOW!" Keiko shouted back as she too danced to herself.

"GO LACUS! GO LACUS! GO LACUS! GO LACUS!" The crowd cheered.

"SHE'S NOT _THAT_ GOOD." Bra scoffed.

"You jealous?" Sally cocked an eyebrow.

"HA!" Bra shot back.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Girls) _Me_ jealous of that skinny little pink-haired marshmallow softy? What the hell do you think this is? Bizzaro World? OBVIOUSLY IRKED**

Lacus continued to dance out the song, pulling in more dough from the show. The song had ended and she managed to collect two hundred and fifty five smacks. "LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE PINK-HAIRED PRINCESS!" Faye played the role of MC as the crowd got hype and the party thickened as the rest of the girls continued to have fun. All except for Bra, who sulked at the bar, evilly turning down every guy that so much looked at her funny.

"Hey there-"

"BLEEP off!" Bra snapped.

_**Morning in White Shore HQ**_

The boys were awakened by the musical tunes of the house's _Nokia_ cell phone. Kurama reached over to read the message as the rest of them didn't waste any time getting ready.

"What does it say?" Hiei yawned.

"_The temperature is 100 degrees and rising outside. If you think that's hot, then maybe you're not ready for today's challenge. Dress in outdoor wear, bring water bottles and be ready to leave the villas at 10pm sharp._" Kurama read the message off.

"Alright then." Yusuke poked his head into the room. "Let's get ready!"

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

"...No, actually I have a contest to do." Lacus had been conversing over the phone with the handsome young man that she had met at _Razzle's_ all night. "Yes. Certainly, I think that is a wonderful idea." She giggled.

"Goodness Lacus, you two have been talking all night?" Botan exclaimed.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Girls) He's just so nice. And I'm not only talking about the time he slipped me the hundred during my little show last night. CLEARS THROAT**

"Oh no! Really? Oh that's too bad! No! Are you serious? HAHA!" Lacus continued on with her conversation.

**Dorothy: Gundam Wing (Girls) Not that I was judging, after all it was her business, but she barely knew this young man and already they were at the "talk on the phone all night" stage. And there was something else about him... **

Lacus hung up from her 'friend' letting loose a soft sigh as she did. She slowly lifted her head feeling millions of eyes on her. "Is there something the matter?" Lacus widened her eyes.

"Lacus, what do you really know about this guy, other than him being a good tipper?" Cagalli questioned.

"Well, I know that he is a very successful writer, only he won't tell me his pseudonym, he thinks that I won't believe him." Lacus released a short giggle, she stopped suddenly once she noticed the girls staring at her grimly. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, you barely know this guy and already you're pulling all nighters over the phone!" Cagalli raised firmly.

"It's not what you think Cagalli, we both have made it very clear that we are not looking for anything more than friendship." Lacus defended.

"Oh come on, don't give me that!" Cagalli huffed. "You totally had the fem voice working overtime! You're into him! Even the dumbest of guys could tell _that_ much!"

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Girls) Lacus is innocent, but sometimes she can be...well you know the type...TOO damn innocent, translation...naïve. **

"Nonsense!" Lacus denied.

"_Common_ sense Lacus," Bra added roughly, "and another thing, he's _way_ too old for you!"

"You don't know that! I don't ever recall him stating his age to any of you girls!" Lacus defended.

"He didn't _have_ to!" Faye added. "He's basically a blonde R. Kelly on the prowel!"

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Girls) They say that club lighting doesn't do you any justice, but from what _I_ saw, he appeared to be around _my_ age! And if he is, shame on him! My GOD hasn't ANYONE learned from the Michael Jackson case? ASIDE from the fact that he was acquitted on all charges! BLANK STARE**

"You're wrong! And besides, I don't see how any of this is anyone's business but mine and Uesugi's!" Lacus fumed.

"Uesugi? Is that really his name?" Catherine said mostly to herself, although Lacus heard her anyway.

"Yes! Did you actually think that I would converse with someone for such a time without learning their name first? Just exactly what type of person do you think that I am?" With that Lacus stormed out of the living area towards her room to prepare for their next challenge. "_Now if I'm not mistaken we have a challenge to prepare for! _That_ should be our main concern right now! So just stay out of my personal life!_" Lacus shouted from her room, her voice muffled from behind the door.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Girls) Man, what a spazz!**

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Girls) How dare they interfere with my personal affairs! Do they really believe that I, Lacus Clyne, am incapable of handling myself? What a foolish way of thinking! Hmph! SULKS**

_**Fifth Challenge: You Light My Fire!**_

"I can not believe that we are having the challenge out here in this scorching heat!" Sachiya sighed.

"But that's what makes today's challenge so exciting!" Johnny eagerly turned towards the contestants who stood in a closed off portion of a nearby park. Of course the boys remained in their commando influenced gear while the girls proudly showed off their team colors with different shades of pink. They eyed the area closely as if to get a better idea of what was in store for them. Two long tables that were covered with table cloths, each about twenty yards apart from the other. Johnny noticed their piercing stares and decided to proceed with the explanation.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I was making mental notes of what sort of strength the challenge would require. Two tables covered in table cloths, about twenty yards apart. MOCKING Hmm, now what could _this_ be?**

"Good afternoon, and welcome to your next challenge." Johnny began, gaining all of the contestants attention. "As you can see, there are two tables on a closed off track area that have been set at least twent five yards apart." He continued. "Today, both teams will be competing in a relay race of..." Johnny trailed as Sachiya unveiled the afar table which had what appeared to be jars upon them. Each marked off with a line, one blue and one red. "filling these jars to the lines that have been marked off the fastest."

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Girls) Sounds easy enough right?**

"What's the catch?" Keiko questioned wisely.

"Ah, the catch of course is both what you will be filling the jars up with, and how you will do it." Johnny smirked, signaling for Sachiya to unveil the closest table which had two unusually large plates upon them, filled with what they were going to fill the jars with.

"What the..." Duo trailed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your fifth challenge, _You Light My Fire_!" Johnny announced. "In these plates are collections of some of the spiciest foods in the world. The spicy foods include: Aji Caballero, which is the hottest pepper known to man in Puerto Rico, jalapeño peppers, habañero peppers, Chile peppers, red saviña peppers, and of course wasabi! All marinating in _Tobasco_ sauce and sprinkled with a hint of paprika."

"Oh my GOD!" Kagome squealed.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Damn it, they're trying to kill us! Wasabi is basically like, Hellfire that grows on trees!**

"Sound cool enough...ahem, or _hot_ enough?" Johnny mocked.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Well, this would certainly prove to be a challenge.**

"There is more to it. You will be, and I'm sure you figured this out already, transporting this food with your mouth. However, as you can see there are two judges behind the food tables. Before you are allowed to make your way down the track towards the jars, you must first chew the food up completely and show it to the judges. If the judges feel that the food has been chewed to their satisfaction, only then will you be permitted to continue down the track and release it into the jars. Hurry back and tag the next person in line." Johnny explained. "Now, be sure to gather as much of the food into your mouth as possible, that way some of you won't be forced to go twice. The team to finish first will gain three hundred points for their team. Be sure that when you grab the food that you don't drop any, because then you're wasting it." Johnny reminded.

**Ayame: Inuyasha (Girls) We had to CHEW it! That's torture!**

"There will be no individual winner for this challenge and no eliminations. However, each team will be competing for an extra one thousand dollars to the final prize, along with this..." Johnny motioned for Sachiya to show off the team prize.

"Hey now!" Keiko smiled.

"A _Gateway FX400M Media Center_. Perfect for music, photos, movies, games and even school work. Complete with an _Intel_ Pentium D Processor 820 with HT Technology. _Microsoft_ Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. 17" LCD Flat-Panel Digital Display. 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM. 250GB4 SATA, 7200 RPM. Complete with, wireless remote, TV tuner, IR reciever, BTX Cool and Quiet Case. _nVidia_ 6600G graphics card with 128MB DDR and TV out. Audigy 2 zs Sound Card. GMAX 2100 2.1 Speakers with Subwoofer and a wireless keyboard!" Johnny listed off the system specifications smiling as many jaws dropped. (A/N: This is an actual computer folks! I SO want it! Too bad it costs $1,500.)

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Girls) Oh my god! We just HAD to win! I've been waiting forever to be able to play _The Sims 2_! I mean that game takes up A LOT of memory!**

"Sachiya, the scores please!" Johnny nodded towards the purple-haired girl.

"Right away Johnny!" Sachiya said through gritted teeth, obviously he had done something to tick her off earlier. "For the boys, we have a starting score of 2700, and for the girls, 2300." Sachiya announced.

"Okay girls," Faye turned towards her team, "mind over matter. We can do this. We can _not_, however, allow those boys to gain anymore points!" Faye stated with strong determination.

"Right, if they win this, they hit 3000, making it twice as hard to catch up." Keiko added.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Girls) And that, by all means, would generally suck!**

"Remember what we talked about this morning guys." Yusuke nodded towards his team.

"This will be nothing." Hiei stated with confidence.

"Well yeah, you're a _Fire_ demon!" Kuwabara griped.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I can't take spicy foods! Man, this was gonna be hell!**

"Aw, Hiei you look sad." Sachiya crooned as she made her way towards the small Fire Demon.

"I told you to stay away from me!" Hiei growled.

"But I wanna make you feel better." Sachiya whined.

Johnny noticed how the Fire Demon's bandaged arm was beginning to smoke, and took immediate action. "Sachiya. Please don't upset the Fire Demon." Johnny swallowed.

"Ugh!" Turning towards her 'boss,' Sachiya respected Hiei's wishes and proceeded to help out with the game.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Man, what's under that guy's bandages anyway?**

"All right teams, take your positions!" Johnny instructed to which both teams got into a line beside the table that held the food. For the girls, the line started with Pan, and for the boys, Hiei. "Ready, GO!" Johnny sounded his horn and both Pan and Hiei rushed towards the tables grabbing handfuls of the extra hot food and stuffing it into their mouths. It was actually hotter than they had expected.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I may be a Fire Demon, and I'll kill anyone who lets this get out but...that food was hot as hell.**

The two continued to quickly chew over the food, both trying their hardest to make it appear as if it were nothing, even though that was far from being the case.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Girls) How hot was it? Hmm, put it this way, I was more than certain that I had third degree burns on my tongue after chewing that BLEEP over.**

"Hurry up Pan!" Bra called to her teammate. The small girl hurriedly opened her mouth, showing the chewed food to the judge, evenly as Hiei did so. Once the judges felt that the food was to their satisfaction both contestants took off down the track...literally. Appearing to be no more than blurs, they emptied the food into the jars and returned back to tag the next people in line...Ryoko and Athrun.

"Go Athrun, come on!" Kira called out from his place in line.

"Oh BLEEP!" Athrun said with a stuffed mouth.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) Cruel and unsual punishment is unconstitutional you know! That was RIDICULOUS!**

"Oh my..." Ryoko muttered as she rushed to chew the unbareably spicy food.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Girls) Not only was it incredibly spicy. But it was SO spicy that it tasted horrible! Like all you could taste was heat! ICK! **

"Come on Ryoko!" Sango called out. She could see the two of them struggling as their faces scrunched and tears began to form in the corners of their eyes.

"Come on man!" Spike encouraged Athrun, who then opened his mouth to show to the judge who approved and he took off like a bat out of hell.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) It was awful! I was drooling and sweating from the heat, crying and...UGH, it was just disgusting!**

Not long after Athrun was halfway towards the jars, did Ryoko sweep past him and hurry towards her team's jar dumping the food into it's confines, and rushed back.

"Aw damn!" Inuyasha shouted as he witnessed Ryoko pass up Athrun twice tagging her next teammate in line Bra, leaving Goten there to wait for the once blue-haired boy to return and tag him.

"Wooh! Yeah Ryoko!" Miriallia cheered. From then on, the gap between the two teams got even bigger, especially once it came to Kuwabara. It took three girls before he was able to proceed being that he couldn't chew the food to the judge's satisfaction.

"Come on Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted in frustration.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) That stupid ass judge! I was chewing the food and she kept telling me that it wasn't enough! She BLEEP us up!**

"Yeah Botan come on!" Android 18 called out as she reached out her hand to be tagged.

"H-h-here!" Botan panted rushing off to the side to grab her water bottle.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Girls) We were ahead by five people, so the scorching sensation that brutally impaired my speech was worth it!**

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Kuwabara completely BLEEPed us! The judge kept making him stop and chew the food right. Idiot!**

The girls were down to their last five as the boys were down to their last six. The competition was tight but of course it ended in the favor of those with only X chromosomes. Much to the guys' disappointment.

"You guys have fun?" Johnny questioned earning a bunch of grunts and groans from both teams, who were too much in oral pain to speak. "Sachiya, read off the scores please."

"Guys, you remain at 2700, girls you finally pepped it up and now rest at 2600. They're on your heels boys!" Sachiya teased. "Todays winner of an extra one thousand dollars to the final prize and a _Gateway FX400M Media Center_, ladies!" The girls tried to cheer however, their mouths prevented them from doing so. And even though the boys had a mindful of curses that they wanted to express, circumstances were at hand, and they remained silent and pissed other than loud and pissed.

"Well, I'm sure you guys would like to take a break after this, so until tomorrow!" Johnny said goodbye immediately grabbing for Sachiya who was on her way to pester a rather angry and irritated Fire Demon.

"Hey!" The purple-haired girl protested as she was pulled by her ear away from the challenge.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Girls) The guys were rather upset. Part of me kinda felt sorry for them...HA, yeah right! This game was ours for sure now! **

"Sowee boys, maybe next time." Hilde managed to force out as she and the girls left the challenge.

_**White Shore HQ A.K.A Hell on Earth...**_

"What the BLEEP Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted, finally having gained the ability to speak once more.

"_Me_? What about Athrun! He messed up too!" Kuwabara shouted back.

"Yeah, but I was against a woman that could fly, you however went against a blind girl! Come on man! All you had to do was chew the food and jet!" Athrun yelled.

"Well, I have a very low tolerance for spicy foods and...wait...Cheza's blind?" Kuwabara digressed causing his entire team to fall over in exasperation.

"Kuwabara, no worries, two losses, yet we are still in the lead." Kurama calmly raised.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Still, we can NOT afford an error such as the one that had occurred that day.**

"No seriously, guys, I don't believe this," Kuwabara continued with widened eyes "Cheza's blind?"

"Yes, she's blind!" Kiba reiterated. "What, you wanna fight about it?"

"Dude..." Kuwabara trailed. "I lost to a blind chick?" Kuwabara shouted in shock and humiliation.

"This is meaningless." Sesshomaru intercepted. "Had I not passed up Catherine, we would have been even farther behind. You're all pathetic."

"Who the hell are you calling pathetic?" Inuyasha shouted at his older brother.

"You guys aren't really a close knit family are you?" Ed observed earning death glares from both demons, causing him to cower. "Ah, didn't think so."

"Hey guys, cut it out, fighting's not going to get us anywhere." Trunks intervened.

"He's right, if we fight amongst ourselves we'll only drift farther apart, thus ruining are chances at a final victory." Wufei added.

"Hmph! He started it!" Inuyasha pouted.

"Two minor set-backs, that's it. But the next challenge, definitely belongs to us!" Yusuke declared gruffly.

"OO-RAH!" The guys cheered, they continued to keep up their morale and comraderie, and that would prove to be their strength.

_**Kicking back in Starfish...**_

"Yes, we won. I know, I'm very happy." Lacus continued to talk to her 'friend' over the phone. "Why thank you."

"Oh great, she's at it again." Ryoko sighed.

"Do you remember what that young man looked like?" Aeka side questioned as she and the others observed the pink-haired Coordinator as she curled up in the seat twirling her hair around her fingers.

"At the club?" Ryoko iterated.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Girls) Well I could understand why our little pink-haired princess was so hooked. He was wearing sunglasses, but you know how you can just TELL a guy is hot? Very tall too, and he was wearing his shirt open to show a very ripped individual. I dunno, but I think _that_ in itself is enough to justify her extremely bad judgment, 'cause I personally still have a bad feeling about this.**

"This isn't like her!" Cagalli grumbled. "This guy is making her...dingy! He's bad news!"

"I don't know, he seemed okay to me." Fllay commented.

"Fllay, _every_ guy seems okay to you." Miriallia sighed. Catching sight of Fllay's glare she restated her comment. "Oh, okay...excluding Yzak."

"Hmph."

"I think that we should just trust that she knows what she's doing guys." Kagome stated.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Girls) I mean, who are we to judge? Besides, he didn't seem all _that_ bad.**

"Everyone, guess what!" Lacus trotted into the living area.

"What is it Lacus?" Meryl raised.

"Uesugi, he's coming to visit this weekend! Isn't that great?" Lacus squealed as she jumped up and down so excited that she didn't notice the looks of shock and uncertainty plastered upon her teammates' faces.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Girls) I take that back! Intervetion time! We're locking her in her room! NERVOUS STARE**

_**To be continued...**_

A/N: Well, took me long enough. Heat can do that to ya, it makes you slow, sometimes physically and sometimes mentally, and in my case...both :-P. Anyways I'm off to try and finish off GTA: San Andreas. Wish me luck on _Supply Lines_ (which I'm STILL stuck on). I'll holla!


	8. Rainy Days and OMGWTF Discoveries!

A/N: Wassup guys! Hope I didn't leave you waiting for too long! Anyway, this chapter is going to be slightly different, yet still crazy like the rest of them. In this chapter there will be no challenge due to weather conditions :-P, however the contestants find other methods of entertainment within the safety of their villas, such as video games and surfing the net. In case you haven't figured out the subtle message that I'm trying to get across to you guys now, I'm basically telling you what I've been doing aside from updating my stories. I know, shame on me, but guess what at least my laziness gave me an idea for a filler chapter! You can read it if you want, or just wait for the next chapter which basically continues on with the original wacky storyline (which is currently in production BTW). Anyway this is basically my way of just poking fun at a lot of silly crap that I sometimes come across on the net, and a lot of retarded junk that I do in my personal spare time. In English...I'm making this up as I go. You've been warned!

**Disclaimer: **It's a good thing I don't own these characters, the picketing outside of my door would never stop!

**Warning: **Randomness, insanity, and possibly some stepping on of toes. (Some bits in this chapter are derived from material that I've repeatedly come across on different fandom sites :-P). Proceed if you dare!

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 8: Rainy Days and OMGWTF Discoveries!**

_**Cooped up in Starfish...**_

The rain continued to rap upon the windows of the girls' villa, the floor vibrating somewhat from a faint thunder clash. The day's challenge had been cancelled due to horrific weather conditions leaving them all bored out of their minds with seemingly nothing to do.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) It was a little after twelve in the afternoon, yet we still had to turn on the lights because it was so dark. I hate it when it rains. Especially when it stands in the way of fifty grand. POUTS**

"Ugh, is this rain ever going to stop? It's been going on ever since three o'clock this morning!" Bra sighed as she drew the curtain slightly to peer through the window which was blurred with rainwater.

"This one is thirsty." Cheza replied softly.

"There's some _Mistic's_ in the frid-" Faye started but was immediately caught off guard, cocking an eyebrow as the Flower Maiden opened the door, headed for the dreadful atmosphere that awaited outdoors. "Hey, where are you..."

"She's a flower." Blue explained. "Rain to her is like, a buffet." She sighed earning a nod from the other confused females in the room.

**Dorothy: Gundam Wing (Gals) That's unusual. PAUSE Ugh, GOD! I'm surrounded by freaks!**

"So what are we gonna do? We can't just sit here and stare holes into the walls." Pan stood up from her place on the floor.

"There must be some form of indoor entertainment that can keep us occupied until the storm subsides." Lacus volunteered as she reached behind her. "I could have Mr. Pink sing a-"

"NO!" The girls replied sternly in unison, causing Lacus to flinch slightly.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) CARESSING HER HARO No one understands you but me Mr. Pink. I'm the only one who knows what you feel.**

**Mr. Pink: Gundam Seed (Sexless Mechanical Ball) FLAPPING FLAPPER THINGYS Haro! Haro no feel! Just chips and bolts! Pink-haired girl just crazy! Haro!**

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) CONTINUES TO CARESS BALL Oh me too Haro, me too.**

"I've got some _Uno_ cards in my bag." Winry raised.

"No way, Ryoko gets so violent with card games." Aeka objected.

"I do not get VIOLENT, princess!" Ryoko growled.

"See what I mean?" Aeka sighed.

**Aeka: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) So impulsive.**

"Ooh, I finally got an e-mail from Amy!" Serena chirped from the lounge as she sat on her knees in front of the computer, eagerly scrolling through her mailbox.

"That's nice. Completely useless, but nice." Julia sighed.

"Hmm," Hilde tapped her chin with her index finger, obviously getting an idea.

"What are you thinking Hilde?" Cagalli questioned.

A grin then spread across the raven-haired girl's face as she made her way towards the computer desk. "Hey Serena, you done reading your mail?"

"Well actually, I was just-"

"Great!" Hilde hastily pushed Serena away from the computer immediately fingering the keyboard.

"Hey! I wasn't done yet!" Serena griped.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) She can be so rude sometimes!**

"Hang on, I've got an idea. I know this website!" Hilde raised with a giddy grin.

"Oh God, what kind of website?" Fllay sighed with a look of disgust etched upon her face.

"The kind of website you find on the internet." Hilde answered sarcastically.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) What, was she afraid we would see something she didn't want us too? Has Fllay been a naughty girl?**

The girls all gathered around the plush office chair, intently gazing upon the computer screen curious as to what kind of "fun" Hilde had in mind.

"Hilde what are you doing?" Catherine released a helpless chuckle.

"Hold on I'm almost..." Hilde trailed but suddenly sucked her teeth in disgust.

"What is it Hilde?" Yukina questioned curiously.

"It's these stupid pop-ups! Ugh, they're ridiculous!" Hilde grumbled. "There's nothing that I would love to do more than punch Bush's lights out, but I don't want your stupid XBOX 360!" Hilde spat as she irately clicked off the pop-up only to have another one appear. "GRRR!" Clicking the pop-up off, she let loose a silent sigh of relief once she realized no more would appear, however the sigh was in vain, for another appeared and it's content was far more severe than the others.

"Oh my!" Sango gasped along with the other girls, her eyes then slowly shifted towards Serena.

"Oh, dear!" Botan smashed her palm over her mouth as her eyes widened in disbelief at what was being shown before her as they too also slowly maneuvered onto Serena.

Serena, who had been forced to the back, unfortunately had no idea what was going on as she stood on her tiptoes trying to get a better view of what was being shown. She then suddenly felt a bunch of eyes on her.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) You ever get that feeling that you're being shamelessly stared at? It's quite unnerving.**

"What?" Serena questioned nervously.

"Err," Keiko breathed.

Cocking an eye, Serena finally decided to push through the crowd of surrounding females, getting a clear view of what was being displayed upon the computer screen. She immediately felt her lungs collapse and her head become suddenly heavy. "ACK!" She gasped loudly.

"It's ok Serena, we're not judging." Kagome patted the girl on the back.

"Judging what? I never took those pictures!" Serena protested with a horrified shriek.

"My, that's graphic." Ayame swallowed.

"Honest, I would never do such a thing! That's disgusting!" Serena cried out.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) I didn't know what the hell was going on! It was crazy!**

"Let me see something." Hilde narrowed her eyes as she clicked on the pop-up.

"Hilde!" Sally shouted her protest.

"What are you doing?" Meryl squealed.

"Just, hang on a sec...oh, my, God!" Hilde gasped as even more pictures loaded upon the screen.

"AHHH! What the hell!" Miriallia screamed as she palmed the sides of her face in sheer terror.

"Oh my GOD!" Kagome yelped.

"Hilde, what kind of website is this?" Keiko shivered as more images loaded upon the page; images that she unfortunately personalized with.

"Err..._Anime Sluts_? _The number 1 Hentai site..._what the BLEEP!"

_**Chilling in White Shore...**_

"Come on Hiei, you've been playing that game for hours now, it's my turn!" Kuwabara whined rather childishly. (A/N: Re-enactment of a fight between me and my brother, Take 1!)

"Hush, you fool." Hiei replied grimly as his eyes remained fixated on the television screen.

"But I've been waiting all day, and anyway it's my game!" Kuwabara groaned.

"Then you will continue to wait until I have played to my satisfaction. Now shut-up while I incinerate innocent humans with my ray-gun." Hiei answered flatly.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) That little shrimp! I should've never let him play _Destroy All Humans_! He doesn't need any ideas, anyway!**

"Aw come on Kuwabara, you should've known that Hiei would get hooked to a game entitled _Destroy All Humans_." Duo chuckled as he laid back on the couch playing his _Gameboy Advance._

"Yeah, didn't you say that that was his main objective in the beginning?" Tsume mocked.

"I'm playing next." Sesshomaru called.

"Hey, that's not fair! I got next!" Kuwabara whined.

"Yes, after me. Now stop whining you worthless, simpleton." Sesshomaru replied darkly.

"Why you!" Kuwbara growled.

"Calm down Kuwabara," Yusuke shouted from the back as he and Trowa engaged in a game of Pool, Spike eagerly waiting to take on the winner, "you said it yourself it's your game, you can play it whenever you want. So stop bitching already and find something else to occupy yourself!"

"Hmph!" Kuwabara poked out his lower lip in a rather juvenile fashion, but decided to go along with Yusuke's suggestion and find something else to do. His eyes drifted towards Kurama, who was sitting in the lounge area behind Yusuke and the others, upon the computer. Shrugging, he decided to head into that direction. "Hey Kurama, whatcha doing?"

"Taking an unofficial online I.Q test." Kurama answered simply.

"Oh sweet, let me see!" Kuwabara perked as he looked over Kurama's shoulder. The former red-head was on his last question, not even bothering to check over his answers as he clicked the 'show results' button. In seconds his results flashed upon the screen. "_Your calculated I.Q is a 145. _Hmm." Kurama nodded.

"Like, you really needed to know." Kuwabara huffed.

"The calculations are slightly off, but I guess that is to be expected with such a menial exam. My professionally calculated I.Q is a 162." Kurama leaned back in the tall office chair.

"That right?" Kuwabara added with a hint of dry sarcasm.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Sometimes it's like Kurama flaunts his gigantic enormous brain in front of us. Like, "ooh, I'm smarter than you, you're stupid, I'm a fangirl magnet with my big piercing emerald eyes, flawless skin, chiseled body and flowing red wine hair." HUFFS Sissy boy.**

"Well, there's not much left for me to do here, would you like to partake?" Kurama offered as he rolled back in the chair and stood, stretching his limbs.

"Sure, but no I.Q tests!" Kuwabara sighed as he took Kurama's place in the chair and began surfing the net. Going to his favorite search engine site, he typed in his target. "Ah, but speaking of quizzes..." Kuwabara said with a grin.

"Hm?" Kurama leaned against the wall behind the computer watching the screen from his spot.

"Oh yeah, let's see." Kuwabara smiled as he typed in 'love quizzes' and awaited to see what he could come up with. The search page loaded up, revealing a list full of quizzes, however one in particular caught his eye. "What the hell?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Kurama asked as he paid closer attention to the screen. "_Which Yu Yu Hakusho Character Are you?_ Ookay." Kurama nodded slowly. This caused a few others to raise their heads into their direction. Koga, Dearka, Hige, Vash and Trunks made their way towards the computer gathering around to see what was going on.

"What was that?" Hige questioned as he leaned over to get a better view.

Clicking the link, Kuwabara let his curiosity get the better of him as the page loaded and the 'quiz' began. He read the question aloud to himself picking the most suitable answer for himself. "Duh, I can do it myself, I'm strong enough!" He answered the question aloud as he selected it and proceeded to the next.

"What is this?" Trunks breathed.

"Looks like some kind of quiz." Vash answered as he furrowed his brows at the screen.

"Of course, my spirit sword!" Kuwabara huffed as he selected his answer, going on to the next. "Ooh, this one's kinda tough."

"Oh just answer it. Personally I'd go for the first one." Dearka added with a smirk.

"Yeah, you would man." Koga half chuckled.

"I might have to agree with you." Kuwabara selected his answer and proceeded with the quiz.

"This is rather strange." Kurama breathed.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Basically, he was taking a quiz to see if he were...himself? Talk about introspection.**

"WHAT THE **BLEEP**! YUSUKE?" Kuwabara stood indignantly to his feet angrily pointing at the computer screen.

"What, Kuwabara?" Yusuke looked up from his Pool game annoyed, as the cue ball hit it's mark, 11 in the side pocket.

"I'm YOU!" Kuwabara shrieked.

"What the BLEEP are you talking about man?" Yusuke shook his head.

"It says it right here, it's says..._I'm the leader of the pack, I've always gotta have my friends around me to back me up, but can always take someone out with my Spirit Gun if they're not around_! This is bull BLEEP, I'm Kuwabara, I'm Kuwabara!" Kuwabara shouted manically.

"Will you chill out, it's just a stupid fandom quiz...wait, what the...I don't ALWAYS need you retards around to back me up!" Yusuke griped raising slightly and leaning on his Pool stick waiting for Trowa to take his shot.

"Yeah, if that helps you sleep at night." Hiei huffed as he continued to wreak havoc in his video game world.

"Whatever!" Yusuke huffed, still waiting for Trowa to take his shot.

"I'm Kuwabara, I'm Kuwabara." Kuwabara mumbled to himself the new mantra.

"Step aside Kuwabara!" Dearka pushed the boy out of the way, fooling around with the computer a bit more, drawing the attention of Yzak, Athrun, and Kira. "Let's go to a REAL website." Dearka smirked.

"Please Dearka, nothing inappropriate." Kurama gently requested.

"Define inappropriate." Dearka chuckled.

"You know what I mean." Kurama said sternly.

(A/N: Warning: Some of this stuff may piss a few of you guys off. And if it does, you're way too uptight! Lighten up guys I'm just BLEEPING around:-P)

"Aw come on Kurama, don't be such a tight-ass!" Dearka teased. Scrolling through the results page of the search engine's site, a certain word caught his eye. "What the hell is DeaYza?" Dearka cocked an eye.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) You know that saying, 'curiosity killed the cat?' The words of a wise man indeed.**

Dearka clicked on the site, caught completely off guard by the first words that appeared before him. "_Why I support Dearka and Yzak as a couple_? What the BLEEP!" His outburst caused everyone in the room to drop what they were doing and rush towards the computer. Hiei quickly put his game on pause, making it in front of the computer with his usual unnatural speed.

"Unacceptable!" Yzak growled.

"_...Yzak seems to only be nice to Dearka and whenever he gets mad Dearka goes after him. Not really sure what the two of them do afterwards, but I guess we just have to use our imaginations oO..._hey now! I usually tell him to suck it up then we chill in the rec room!" Dearka shrieked as he quickly scrolled down the page.

"This is outrageous! I'm straight!" Yzak shouted angrily.

"Hmph, coulda fooled me." Duo half-chuckled.

"Look who's talking braid-boy!" Dearka pointed as he continued to scroll down the page.

"Hey, I'm just saying!" Duo laughed.

"Ooh, I wouldn't throw stones just yet." Dearka smirked.

"What?" Duo forced out between laughs.

Mockingly clearing his throat, Dearka proceeded to read what was on the web page. "_...Other yaoi couples I support include, AsuKir..._translation, Athrun and Kira..." Dearka laughed.

"WHAT!" Athrun and Kira yipped in unison.

Holding up his index finger in an infomercial 'but wait, there's more' fashion, Dearka continued to read off of the web page. "_...QuatrexTrowa, HeeroxDuo, WufeixTreize (sort of, even though they're mortal enemies, but I've read some acceptable fics about them out there XD)..."_

"Now wait a minute!" Wufei fumed.

"Dude, it get's better," Dearka laughed, "_...HieixKurama, SpikexVicious, GotenxTrunks, TsumexToboe, KibaxHige, YusukexKoenma, YusukexKurama, YusukexKuwabara, InuyashaxMiroku, SesshomaruxNaraku, KogaxInuyasha, VashxWolfwood, VashxLegato..._Man this BLEEP is BLEEPED up!" Dearka leaned back in his chair near death from laughter.

"What the BLEEP is this kid's malfunction!" Spike shouted as he all but attacked the computer. "Me and Vicious! That psychotic bastard! I've got a BLEEPING girlfriend! HIS girlfriend if you wanna get technical with it! I'm completely STRAIGHT!"

"HAHA, we all are!" Dearka chuckled, stopping suddenly with a rather disturbed and serious expression on his face. "We all ARE, right?"

"Yeah, yeah...of course!" The guys spat out sporadically.

"Mortal enemies would never betray themselves as such." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, rather disgusted as well.

"Exactly! This is unbelievable!" Wufei grumbled.

"Me and the runt? Humans really are stupid!" Tsume brooded.

"Do they even care about the fact that we're wolves and actually HAVE common sense?" Hige exclaimed.

"And they wonder why they can't get into Paradise." Kiba sighed. "Then it wouldn't be PARADISE now would it?"

"More like Hell!" Hige shouted.

"I think that it's more than OBVIOUS that my loins only awaken in the presence of beautiful women! What are they thinking?" Miroku choked.

"Miroku, I think that was a bit too much information." Goten's eyes widened.

"It's all quite farfetched." Trowa stated scratching the back of his head pensively.

**Trowa: Gundam Wing (Guys) I do like Quatre, but damn it's not like I'm in love with him. I don't usually curse but...what the BLEEP are these people on?**

"Heero man, I'm freaking out! What the hell did we do to bring this on?" Duo panted.

"We were hot, single, bishounens with a tragic past that found common ground with one another, developed a bond, and well, the rest is ancient history." Heero stated sarcastically.

"BULL BLEEP!"

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Fansites are scary! I mean DAMN! A guy can't even have a male best bud anymore without some yaoi fan turning it into some built up over the years of repressed and hidden feelings wild disgusting sexual lust fest!**

"Where the hell do they get this BLEEP?" Duo griped.

"Their twisted and deluded minds." Heero stated lowly.

"Me and Koga? Me and that mangy wolf?" Inuyasha growled.

"Never thought I'd say this, but I'm with dog-breath! N-not WITH with, but I-I...err, agree!" Koga sweat-dropped.

"Man, that's messed up." Ed shook his head, grateful that there were no disturbing blurbs or pictures of him getting it on with some guy that he knew and more than likely despised. He looked at Android 17 and noticed that he too had the same expression upon his face. That, 'too bad for them' expression.

"This is some gross BLEEP!" Vash tripped over the trashcan, once Dearka clicked onto the page's fanart section.

"Sweet mother of GOD!" Athrun's breath hitched in his throat.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) What the BLEEP is wrong with people! Now I feel all compelled to secure my sexuality! Guess I'm _Playboy_ing it again tonight.**

"Foolish humans!" Hiei grimaced at a rather disturbing image of he and Kurama in a 'loving' embrace. Male or female, for him, 'loving' embraces were always disturbing.

"I have to admit, their artistic abilities are rather exotic looking." Kurama observed, earning confused and disgusted stares from the other males of the room. "What?"

"Doesn't it even bother you that instead of fangirls fantasizing about you being with them, it's you with not only someone else, but another GUY at that? Your best friend!" Trunks jumped, horrified by the fans' reasoning why he and Goten should start looking for homes with picket fences and his and her bathrooms; or rather his and his. Shudder.

"It's disrupting yes, however, I'm quite secure with my sexuality. If this is what draws them to me, I'm not one to criticize." Kurama explained simply.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) How my fans see me is entirely up to them, however I know who I am and am comfortable with who I am and my sexuality. CLEARS THROAT Which is heterosexual by the way. SNIFFS**

"You think THAT'S disrupting, I wonder how disrupting this stuff is." Dearka arched an eyebrow as he read the warning notice aloud. "_Warning, the material on this page is user created material of an adult nature. If you are under 18 or otherwise offended by content of this nature, please..._blah blah, blah. Yeah, whatever. Breathe guys, I got a feeling it's gonna be hell." Squinting as he clicked the link, he fell out of his roller chair at the images that loaded up before his eyes.

"HOLY BLEEP!" Kurama shouted.

_**OMGWTF Moments in Starfish...**_

"WAAH! I don't understand! Why would someone ruin my faultless image like this?" Lacus cried out.

"YOU! What about ME and MY image?" Fllay cried out.

"Hmph, afraid that ship has sailed." Meryl murmured.

"What was that?" Fllay jumped.

"Nothing." Meryl shrugged.

"You know what, we could totally sue for this!" Cagalli shouted more than angered.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) They're fake! My face plastered over someone else's body, I mean how sick is that! My boobs are not that big! How else would I get mistaken for a boy so many times? AWKWARD SILENCE**

"Is that...Oh my GOD, WHAT THE BLEEP!" Fllay shrieked at the sight of her doing something inappropriate to Yzak's groinal area. "What the hell is this BLEEP with me and Yzak! He said like five words to me when we first met!" She roared.

"What's disturbing me are the constant images of me and Toboe doing...things." Leara winced. "He's a wolf for god sake, that is BEYOND sick!"

"No, what's sick is the whole me and Trunks thing!" Pan intercepted. "I am now scarred for life!" Pan's right eye began to twitch uncontrollably causing her to slap her hand over it to cease it's ticking.

"Me and Spike! Me and that arrogant...GRRR! What the hell is this!" Faye shouted at the computer screen of an extremely graphic image of her and Spike.

"Well, I think I've seen enough, what do ya say huh princess?" Ryoko pushed her way away from the computer nervously.

"Yes, quite!" Aeka hurriedly made her way to the other side of the desk.

"I'm with Cagalli on the whole suing issue!" Faye shouted.

"Oh look, what's this? A link to a fanfiction site. Should I even do this?" Hilde questioned herself with an exasperated sigh.

"If you dare." Ayame sighed.

Nodding, Hilde clicked onto the site, a list of stories and their pairings appearing on the screen. "Ooh, this one's about Kagome and Inuyasha." Hilde said teasingly.

"Hmph, go figure." Kagome turned up her chin. "Snore!"

"Ooh, we've got some Sango and Miroku action here!" Hilde chirped.

"Bet he'd love that." Sango stated dryly.

"HA! Here's some Dearka and Miriallia lovin!'" Hilde chuckled.

"Ugh, spare me!" Miriallia spat.

"Oh, here's one about Botan and Yusuke!" Hilde chuckled.

"No, I don't want to see it!" Botan covered her eyes. "Me and Yusuke! That will NEVER happen!"

"Hey, ya never know, if Keiko winds up with Kurama, like in this fic here, then the possibilities are endless." Hilde laughed.

"WHAT!" Keiko gasped.

"Ooh, fox lust, sounds steamy! There's hope for you two yet!" Hilde laughed as she read bits of the summary.

"Hmph, not if Kurama ends up with Hiei." Pan pointed with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh my God are you serious?" Hilde leaned into the computer screen reading the fic's description. "Hmm, what does PWP stand for?"

"Beat's me." Winry shrugged.

Clicking on the link, the girls began to read the fic silently to themselves. They barely made it through the first three paragraphs. "AAAH!" They screamed.

"Hil, click it off, click it off!" Android 18 backed away from the screen leaning against the wall.

Quickly clicking the site off, Hilde and the others had to take a moment to catch their breath. "Oh my GOD!"

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) What the hell is wrong with our fans?**

"Oh God, I now officially have to wash out my eyes with antibacterial soap!" Miriallia shuddered.

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Hilde clicked out of the browser window and leaned back in her chair. "Man, the internet really does corrupt your brain."

"Obviously, why else would people come up with that BLEEP!" Faye replied.

"I'm gonna have nightmares!" Serena gulped.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) Bottom line...fans are COMPLETELY out of control!**

"So..._Uno_?" Sally sighed.

"I'll get the cards!" Ryoko urgently volunteered, followed by the other girls. They were indeed scarred, they would just have to hope that this experience would in no way get in the way of them and their objective, which was to win this game.

_**Chilling Out Again in White Shore...**_

"Hey T, toss me a beer would ya!" Duo nodded towards Trowa as the two of them lounged on the floor rather sloppily in the living room in nothing but their baggy shorts and wife beater tanks listening to hardcore rap music over the speakers. 50 Cent featuring Mobb Deep "Outta Control (Remix)" being the current sounds that serenaded the boys' now clouded with smoke villa.

Yusuke and Kuwabara proceeded to shoot Pool with Ed waiting to play the winner, their _Black & Mild _cigars hanging loosely from their lips as Yusuke called his shot. "Thirteen, side pocket!"

Hiei leaned back on the couch with his feet propped upon the coffee table resuming play on his now favorite video game of all time. Letting out a rather disgusting and loud belch, he heard his comrades cheering him on at his 'accomplishment.'

"Okay shorty, I hear ya!" Koga gave the small Fire Demon a thumbs up as he played quarters by the bar.

Inuyasha, Wufei, Kira, Spike, Yzak, Vash, and Heero all hit up the exercise room pumping serious iron while Trunks and Goten sparred in the back. Tsume, Hige, and Kiba held a traditional head to head wolf fight, the objective being to gain the position of the alpha male. Kurama, Dearka, Athrun, and Android 17 all sat in their rooms reading dirty magazines, alone with their 'thoughts.' Sesshomaru had locked himself in his room to meditate and reflect, trying his hardest to ignore the now blaring sounds of the "ASAP (Remix)" by T.I and P$C.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guy) SLOUCHING IN CHAIR Yeah, we're not about to let some silly-ass fandom bull BLEEP get to us. Besides, we've got more important things to worry about, like winning this challenge and gettin' the BLEEP outta here. PUTS HIS HAND IN THE FRONT OF HIS PANTS (A/N: He's doing the Al Bundy guys :-P) Yeeep! That's it! And if you ask me, this game's in the bag for sure!**

"Hey, it stopped raining." Trowa announced as the sun peered through into the villa.

"Alright, that's what I'm talking about!" Yusuke said through gritted teeth from the cigar that he held firm between his lips. "Hey fellas, tonight whadaya say we hit up the nearest club and go ho shoppin?'" Yusuke raised with a sly grin.

"Oo-Rah!" The guys barked their agreement.

"Alright, cool!" Yusuke smiled and resumed his game.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) We're not insecure. Just having fun. SNIFF Enjoying life. CLEARS THROAT SNIFF That's right, you gotta enjoy life! Ya know! Grab it by the horns...or...errr, erm, mounds! Soft, round, creamy mounds! You know what I'm sayin!' SMIRKS**

It was clearly obvious that the boys were having some security issues, but they weren't about to let that get in their way and rupture their game. Now more than ever it was necessary that they won. Through blood, sweat, and tears they would win. In the name of their threatened securities, they had all made a silent vow, to win the contest at ANY cost.

_**To Be Continued...**_

A/N: I told you it was crazy and entirely satirical! Like I said, I made most of this crap up as I went along so, it's random, it's insane, it's crude, but hey...I dunno I guess it's kinda funny. I was basically just illustrating what I feel the characters themselves would say to some fanworks and theories out there. I personally have nothing against other's fanworks dealing with alternate pairings no matter if it's het, yaoi, yuri, whatever, this was just me havin' fun:-P Hell I can only imagine what they would say about my fic!

Yusuke: This fic is so retarded! I would never do any of the BLEEP you're making me do in this piece of BLEEP work!

VampSlaying101: You would never run away from a Great White Shark who calls you his sweet little crabcake?

Yusuke: Yeah, but that would never happen!

VampSlaying101: Please, this is Anime fanfiction! Anything could happen!

Yusuke: I still would never take all that abuse that the girls are putting on my team.

VampSlaying101: Oh, don't worry, your time is coming. Your time is coming very soon!

Yusuke: It'd better be, or I'm telling the readers the REAL reason why you don't update as often as you should!

VampSlaying101: ...

Until the next update guys, I'll holla!


	9. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You!

A/N:Well hello there lovely readers! And welcome back, to both this story and...oh yeah, school. Sigh. Well, after registering for classes and getting my living arrangements together, I was in desperate need of an outlet. Oh, what do you know, my stories. I almost forgot about them! Just kidding! Just so you know, updates will now be every Friday 8pm EST, and will keep in line with the theme of this story...extremely action-packed, romantic and dramatic in respect to every true essence that grounds the foundation of writing...

...Oh who the hell am I kidding? This fic is borderline insane!

**In Response to the Last Chapter: **Ah, my infamous filler chapter! Well, all I have to say is, the views of the individuals that were expressed in the last chapter do not necessarily reflect those of the author. Lol! For example: Hilde's comment about delight in punching Bush's lights out. I am not anti-Bush, nor am I pro-Bush. Personally, I'm not fond of politics period, it's all crooked in my opinion. And anyway, just because she made a comment like that doesn't necessarily mean she hates him. (Perhaps she just gets a kick out of punching people, no matter who they are! Lol! Okay too extravagant, but it really was just a comment at the Pop-up and not who the Pop-up was directed towards). There are certain things, the president does that people don't particularly approve of, however that doesn't mean that they hate him. I know I don't. Put it this way, your parent does something to really piss you off, at that moment you really want to sock it to 'em good, but you don't hate them, you still love 'em! Same concept. Once again, I am not anti-Bush, the entire chapter was all satirical humor.

The question about what is PWP. Well, when I wrote that chapter, I honestly had no idea what it meant either:-P. All I knew was that it always came up in summaries for lemonish stories. So, I did some research, and it turns out that PWP stands for honestly "plot, what plot?" derived from the abbreviation for "porn without plot," which is pretty much self-explanatory. Does this clear things up? Can I stop being serious and return to being stupid? We're cool? Great! Now let's have some fun!

**Disclaimer: **Why do I even bother with these things? They ain't mine! Now continue to count your blessings!

**Note: **I'm thinking of making Lacus' new guy a shocking surprise character in the fic! Maybe you already know who he is, and those of you who don't, will soon find out the true identity of this mystery man! ;-) BTW, I ain't doing the previously part anymore, because well...I don't feel like it, and I'm sure you all are getting tired of scrolling past it! If you forgot what happened last chapter, simply click back two pages, and stop being lazy...like me!

**Warning: **The author was suffering from a rather hellish contact high when she wrote this. Read at your own risk:-P

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 9: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You**

_**Outside White Shore 0500 Hours...**_

"I don't know what you've been told!"

"I don't know what you've been told!"

"Men don't lose to stupid ho's!"

"Men don't lose to stupid ho's!"

"Good for cooking, cleaning, sex!"

"Good for cooking, cleaning, sex!"

"But ain't got no self-respect!"

"But ain't got no self-respect!"

"Sound off!"

"1, 2!"

"Sound off!"

"3, 4!"

"1, 2, 3, 4, stomp them bitches in the floor!"

The boys jogged around their villa, led by Yusuke, in perfect formation chanting cadence after cadence, being sure to sound off with every vulgar and highly pointed syllable. This was of course much of a disturbance to their female neighbors who were not only highly offended by the chants themselves, but the fact that they were being shouted repeatedly at five o'clock in the morning.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Great, it looks like we've created a bunch of woman-hating bastards. **

"Will you boys shut the BLEEP up, it's five o'clock in the BLEEPING morning!" Bra shouted out of her and Pan's bedroom window.

"We don't care if you are pissed!"

"We don't care if you are pissed!"

"You can all just suck our BLEEP!"

"You can all just suck our BLEEP!"

"Ugh!" Bra griped as she slammed the window shut and plopped back down onto her bed.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I must applaud Yusuke's improv. skills. No matter what the girls shot at us against our morning exercises, he always came back with something so eloquent and colorful. Such as when Fllay got after us...**

"This is ridiculous! Some people have to get their beauty sleep you know!" Fllay growled from she and Miriallia's window.

"Sleeping beauty no such luck!"

"Sleeping beauty no such luck!"

"Stop whining you BLEEPING slut!"

"Stop whining you BLEEPING slut!"

"Why you...!" Fllay balled up her fists reaching out of the window in preparations to charge her verbal offenders, but was quickly stopped by Miriallia.

"Fllay, take it easy!" Miriallia calmed.

"No! I will NOT take it easy! Who do they think they are? Calling me a slut?" Fllay shouted.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) When have I ever done anything slutty? BLANK STARE**

"Boys, really this is beyond childish! Stop this at once!" Lacus shouted from she and Cagalli's room.

"No way, you all had your chance!"

"No way, you all had your chance!"

"Hey, how much for a table dance?"

"How much for a table dance?"

"Oh my!" Lacus gasped.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) How did they find out about that?**

The boys' morning exercises went on for another full hour before they decided to take a break and 'hit the showers.' They had tried their hardest to maintain their commando persona's and keep a straight face on entering into their villa, but found that task to be quite impossible and broke out into uncontrollable laughter.

"HAHA! Urameshi, that was hilarious!" Kuwabara doubled over in laughter with the rest of his teammates. Even Sesshomaru and Hiei had to silently chuckle to themselves at what had just occurred.

"And the way that you came back with everything that they had to whine about!" Miroku forced out between laughs.

"Hey, what can I say...I'm a poet." Yusuke continued to laugh hysterically with his team.

"Did you see Lacus' face when you threw that bit about her little show down at _Razzle's_ in there?" Dearka could barely breathe.

"Priceless!" Kiba huffed.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Speaking of which, I can't believe she actually did that! She had to have been drunk. PAUSE On that note...I can't believe Lacus was drinking! Damn, what is this crack author doing to us?**

"Today's the day men, I feel it in my bones. We win today's challenge, no contest! Those chicks are going down!" Yusuke said with a glow of confidence to which the rest of the guys followed with a hearty 'Oo-Rah' further hyping themselves up for whatever the day had in store.

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

"Can you believe them?" Fllay was still irked over the boys' insult earlier that morning.

"Forget about it Fllay. They're just little boys." Faye began, a glow of confidence evident in her voice. "We, are women. We are powerful. We are strong. We WILL win this." Faye was dead serious, and her expression reflected that so.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Something didn't feel right. The way the boys had been acting since Laser Tag, it was all just so...wrong.**

"That's the spirit, Faye." Keiko nodded. "As long as we stick together, there's no way that the boys are going to walk away with OUR money!" Keiko vowed earning a bunch of nods from her team.

"Right, it's obvious that they are threatened by us, otherwise they wouldn't be acting this way." Yukina commented.

"I knew it! They ARE scared of us!" Kagome smirked.

"Yes, we're definitely intimidating them!" Blue added. Just then, the house's _Nokia_ cellphone sounded, urging Serena to reach over and read the text message that awaited.

"What's it say, Serena?" Leara questioned.

"_Nothing much needed for this challenge, other than high endurance and possibly..._eye drops?" Serena cocked an eye at the text message. "_Be prepared to leave the villas at 11am sharp._"

"Ugh, those cryptic text messages are really starting to bug me!" Pan groaned.

"No sense in complaining now. Let's get ready girls!" Botan chimed.

_**Sixth Challenge: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You!**_

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to your next challenge." Johnny began, relieved that Sachiya actually had nothing to complain about this time round. "Today's challenge can either be simple or difficult, it's all a matter of endurance and focus." He continued.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Okay, endurance...Check! Focus...kinda Check! I have a tendency to become easily distracted by...ahem...certain things. HIDES HER ORLANDO BLOOM PIC IN HER POCKET**

"Here at MTV, we're no stranger to honoring old school games and tradition when it comes to challenges. Sometimes that can be as old as the Medieval era, or the time of the Flower Children." Johnny continued.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I was surprised to see that the guys had dropped the military gear for this challenge. Instead they were all dressed in black. BLANK STARE In 90 degree weather... UNCOMFORTABLE PAUSE Wait...**

"Today, you will all simultaneously be competing against one another in a good old fashioned staring contest, being monitored by myself, Sachiya, and a few other judges. Appropriately dubbing the name of this challenge _Can't Take My Eyes Off of You_!" Johnny explained.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I'm awesome at these! Just as long as my opponent keeps their mouth shut.**

"The perk of this challenge is that you are allowed to talk as much trash as you want in order to bring your opponent down through distraction." Johnny continued.

"BLEEP!" Winry griped, highly irritated by the knowing smirks being cast her way by Ed. Obviously he knew that that was her weakness.

"Each minute that you last is worth twenty points toward your team's score. Traditional rules apply. If you blink, cry, or lose focus, you're out. And if you get out, you forfeit your points to the other team, so try to hang in there." Johnny informed. "To make this challenge even more interesting, the producers have purposely chosen the opponents according to personal acquaintances." He explained with a smile, laughing somewhat at the groans that emerged from the crowd.

**Meryl: Trigun (Gals) So not only would we have to stare at those jerks, but it would be a jerk we knew personally. That just sucked!**

"Sachiya, if you would please update us on the scores and the challenge prize." Johnny regarded his assistant hostess.

"Yep!" Sachiya proceeded front and center discreetly winking a suggestive eye towards her 'snuggle bunny' Hiei, throwing the Fire Demon off slightly.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Hmm, maybe that new assistant hostess isn't so useless after all. GETTING A VERY BAD IDEA**

"Guys, you currently have a score of 2700, girls your score is now at 2600." Sachiya informed. "Eliminations are go again for this challenge and as such, the winner for today's challenge will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero, and this team prize." Sachiya unveiled the team prize to which everyone once again seemed satisfied with. "Paid tickets on a ten day _Carnival_ cruise through the Caribbean Islands. Tickets come with the MTV VIP special in which you get celebrity-like treatment for the duration of your trip!" Sachiya put on her best hostess voice as she announced the team prize.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Oh my GOD! Now that's what I call a prize! We had to win, or...I would never forgive my teammates! PAUSE Oh yeah, I'd be mad at myself too.**

"Okay teams, the head to head list goes as follows: Yusuke vs. Keiko. Kuwabara vs. Yukina. Kurama vs. Botan. Hiei vs. Pan. Kiba vs. Cheza. Tsume vs. Leara. Hige vs. Blue. Duo vs. Hilde. Trowa vs. Catherine. Wufei vs. Sally. Heero vs. Dorothy. Kira vs. Lacus. Athrun vs. Cagalli. Dearka vs. Miriallia. Yzak vs. Fllay. Inuyasha vs. Kagome. Miroku vs. Sango. Koga vs. Ayame and Serena. Spike vs. Faye and Julia. Vash vs. Meryl. Ed vs.Winry. Android 17 vs. Android 18. Goten vs. Bra. Trunks vs. Aeka. And Sesshomaru vs. Ryoko. Any questions?" Johnny finished.

"Yeah!" Spike ardently raised his hand as if he were in a classroom.

"Spike, what is it?" Johnny nodded.

"How the hell do you expect me and Koga to go up against two people?" Spike frowned.

"Yeah!" Koga shouted.

"Easy. If you defeat your first opponent, then you take on your next one adding on extra points. However, if you lose to your first opponent, you still have to take on your second, but can't gain any points." Johnny explained. "But, no pressure, it's just that there are more girls than guys."

"Yeah, 'cause SOMEBODY didn't have enough backbone to let a certain pretty little pacifist go." Duo arched an eyebrow towards the girls, generating a flow of growls from their bellies.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Hmph! Chicken BLEEP!**

"Okay, places everyone, places!" Johnny ordered to which everyone took their designated seats across from their opponents.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) This was definitely going to prove to get on my nerves. Because that's what Yusuke does most of the time...get on my nerves. And this contest is making his behavior even worse.**

"Alright is everyone ready?" Johnny regarded the contestants who had already began their death glares into their opponents' direction. "GO!" Johnny sounded his horn as the clock started and the challenge began.

_**Kagome vs. Inuyasha...**_

"Give it up Kagome, you're never gonna win this." Inuyasha ground out as his amber orbs burned into Kagome's deep chocolate ones.

"Afraid of the competition huh? I swear, demon or human, all men are such babies!" Kagome smirked as her gaze continued to drill into Inuyasha's. A minute and thirty two seconds had passed on the clock now.

"Afraid! HA! Of what, a bunch of weak little girls? Face it Kagome, that money is ours. And you know what the first thing I'm gonna do with it is?" Inuyasha began with a sly grin. "Hit the nearest _Victoria's Secret _store. I'll bet Kikyo, would look sinfully hot in a cherry red thong!" Inuyasha teased. He could see Kagome's cheeks fuming. He was hoping that his remark would cause her to cry, however that was not to be the case.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I have to admit...that was BLEEPING stupid of me.**

"SIT!" Kagome screamed, causing Inuyasha's body to be forced out of his chair and violently onto the ground.

"Inuyasha, you're out!" Johnny announced.

"WHAT! That's not fair, she cheated!" Inuyasha griped.

"No, she talked trash. Not our fault that certain trash-talk lands you a mouth full of grass and soil!" Johnny chuckled as he jarred his thumb back and forth pointing behind him instructing Inuyasha away from the game.

"Aw, that's bull BLEEP!"

"Serves you right, you jerk!" Kagome huffed as she stood and retreated to the side to watch the remainder of the challenge.

_**Hiei vs. Pan...**_

Two minutes and forty one seconds were now on the clock as Pan and Hiei battled it out in a test of mental and optic strength.

"You know what I think is incredibly funny," Pan began with a wide grin as her eyes focused on Hiei's crimson gems, "that you don't have to sit down in order to look me straight in the eyes." Pan let out a taunting giggle, enjoying the fact that Hiei was obviously bothered by her comment as he narrowed his eyes into hers.

"Hn."

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) HAHAHA! It's too easy with that guy! HAHAHA!**

"That reminds me, what the hell were you thinking trying to put ME under a love spell the other day? Something you wanna share, Hiei?" Pan teased.

"Not particularly." Hiei answered flatly.

"He probably was wishing that you were me!" Sachiya intercepted causing Pan to arch an eyebrow.

"Errr?"

"I told you to stay out of this you stupid woman!" Hiei growled as his eyes continued to bury themselves into Pan's.

"Why are you staring at her like that?" Sachiya whined. "You're only supposed to look at me that way!"

"I'm busy!" Hiei growled.

"I'll bet!" Sachiya continued. Three minutes and twenty eight seconds were now on the clock.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) I knew that girl would come in handy someday! EVIL LAUGH**

"I'm warning you." Hiei commented lowly, as he balled up his right fist.

"Ooh, someone's getting snippy!" Pan continued, her teasing eyes shooting into Hiei's angry orbs.

"Go. Away." Hiei stated once more.

"But, Hiei I-" Suddenly Hiei's now black headband began to burn away uncovering his Jagan eye, his targets in full view of its hypnotic power.

"Sachiya, leave me alone." Hiei ordered.

"Okay." Sachiya stated dazedly as she turned on her heels leaving Hiei to finish out his challenge with Pan.

"Now, Pan..." Hiei began.

"Yes?" Pan slurred.

"Oh look, a bird." Hiei stated in flat amusement as he retained his death gaze.

"Where?" Pan looked above towards the sky, wrecking her winning chance.

"Pan, you're out!" Johnny called out.

"Okay." Pan lazily made her way towards the side collapsing onto the ground and staring off into the distance with a rather empty expression.

"Hn. Fools." Hiei smirked.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Works every time.**

_**Kira vs. Lacus...**_

Four minutes and eight seconds were now on the clock as Kira had yet to shut-up about a certain subject.

"...Off of a Jessica Simpson song?" Kira swallowed.

"Yes." Lacus answered, her eyes burning into Kira's.

"You sure you weren't drunk?" Kira questioned.

"No, I was completely sober." Lacus informed.

"Damn, that's even worse! You're the Pink-haired Princess! Since when did you become Anna Nicole Smith's mini me?" Kira furrowed his eyebrows.

"Since the day that Faye threatened my Haro!" Lacus stated vehemently.

"You did a table dance for a mechanical ball?"

"You'd do the same for Birdy wouldn't you!"

"Of course not!"

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) WTF?**

"Don't judge me Kira! I did what I had to!" Lacus pouted, still never removing her stare from Kira's.

"I'd never expect you to drool over money Lacus." Kira stated.

"Actually, it wasn't the money I was drooling over." Lacus side-commented, a hint of a dark secret lying in her stare.

"Then what were you drooling over, Lacus?" Kira scrutinized.

"Oh, no one." Lacus sighed.

"I said, WHAT, not WHO! So you table danced for some other guy, and I couldn't get so much as a peck on the cheek?" Kira whined, four minutes and fifty seven seconds now on the clock.

"Umm," Lacus had to widen her eyes at the sign of tears forming in Kira's eyes.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) Was he serious?**

"H-how...how could you!" Kira broke down into a babyish cry, causing his teammates to furrow their brows in the midst of their own staring contests.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) He was serious.**

"Kira, you're out!" Johnny called out.

"WAAHHH! Lacus table-danced for some club-hopping womanizer!" Kira wailed.

"Can it, and have a seat in the loser bin, dude!" Johnny ordered.

"I'll never forgive you Lacus! NEVER!" Kira cried.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) Part of me felt sorry for Kira. But then my thoughts immediately traveled to his morning 'exercises' and then Uesugi, and well...my pity was immediately vanquished. I'm not cold-hearted, just full of passionate vengeance. Plus, Uesugi..._GQ Magazine_ material no question! CELLPHONE RINGS Oh, excuse me please. Hello? Why Uesugi yes, what a pleasure it is to speak with you again! WINKS AT CAMERA**

_**Spike vs. Faye...**_

Five minutes and seven seconds had passed by now as Faye and Spike faced off in what was becoming more like a staring war than contest.

"I swear, you really are a gold digger." Spike huffed.

"Look who's talking." Faye retorted.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) If there is one thing that could completely throw off Ms. Valentine was the mentioning of money. Considering the fact of her basically having none of it.**

"Oh, that reminds me...about your debts, you may wanna take a look at this updated version of what you owe." Spike smirked as he held up a sheet of paper.

"Please, I'm not falling for that. Give it up Spike." Faye cocked an eye.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Just how stupid does he think I am?  
**

"No, I REALLY think you oughta take a look at this." Spike's eyes widened within Faye's as five minutes and forty three seconds passed on the clock.

"Tell ya what. How about you take that so-called debt report, and shove it up your ass!" Faye growled.

"Alright if you say so." Spike nonchalantly let the piece of paper float to the ground, never removing his gaze from Faye's.

A bead of sweat crept upon her brow as she fought to retain her gaze. She knew he was lying. It was all a trick to get her to lose.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I wasn't about to give in. However, I did get a notice in the mail notifying me of my recent debts. That's when I remembered throwing it away. Out of curiosity I just asked...**

"So Spike, where'd you get the 'debt report' from?" Faye arched an eyebrow.

"I found it lying beside the dumpster." Spike answered smugly.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) GULP!**

"I-is, that right?" Faye panted. Six minutes and twenty seconds were now on the clock.

"Mmhmm." Spike nodded, his taunting eyes sending chills up and down Faye's spine.

She nibbled on her lower lip as she held her gaze strong within Spike's. Discreetly maneuvering her leg, she placed her foot over the fallen report, dragging it closer to herself. Bending over slightly, and making sure to keep her eyes glued upon Spike's, she retrieved the report and proceeded to fold it.

"Yeah, I'd hang on to that, especially considering the fact that your debts have doubled."

"WHAT!" Faye shouted forgetting all about the game and immediately focusing in on the debt report. "2.6 MILLION WONGS! WHAT THE **BLEEP**!"

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) HAHA! Well she's screwed.**

"Faye you're out!" Johnny called.

"I don't believe this! How the hell did this happen! I've never been to the Utopia Bunny Ranch!" Faye shouted. Glaring at Spike and catching sight of his knowing smirk she immediately saw red. "You."

"Look on the bright side, there's some less fortunate girl out there right now with a full ride to college thanks to me...or thanks to YOU rather." Spike smirked.

"DAMN YOU!" She growled, as she lunged at his throat causing him to fall back in his chair.

"Hey get off me you crazy bitch!" Spiked choked.

"I'll show you crazy!"

_**Kiba vs. Cheza...**_

Seven minutes were now on the clock, and the competition was heating up fast.

"Hey, technically you're not even looking in my eyes." Kiba stated as his illusory blue eyes bored into Cheza's.

"What do you mean?" Cheza questioned in her most mellow tone.

"Well, you're blind." Kiba replied simply.

"Yes, and This one does not need to blink. This one's eyes are different. You are going to lose." Cheza answered meekly.

"Yeah right! You said you were gonna take us to Paradise, and so far you've managed to get us into a contest where we get molested by sharks and humiliated by human females!" Kiba griped. "MTV's offering us fifty grand and a ten-day cruise through the islands! Now _that's_ Paradise! You're a poser!"

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Key to Paradise my ass!**

"Kiba." Cheza began softly.

"What, Cheza!" Kiba growled.

"It is not becoming for the leader of the pack to behave as a pup would. Please stop whining and lose like a big wolf." Cheza answered softly.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) This one will take the prize money and go to Paradise alone. That's when Paradise is at it's best, when there is no one with you. Besides, there are not enough pooper-scoopers in the world to accommodate all four of them.**

Seven minutes and twenty five seconds had passed, and neither one was going to give up so easily. "This will never end!" Kiba vowed darkly.

"Then you leave This one no choice." Cheza smiled as she soon opened her mouth and began to croon to Kiba, and Kiba alone. _"Shiro, shiro..."_

"Oh crap!" Kiba strained as he soon felt his energy draining and sleep trying its hardest to take him over.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Usually Cheza's singing is like, _"rest your eyes, my sleeping wolves. Dream of peace in Paradise my sleeping wolves,"_ yada yada yada. But _this_ was more like _"I SAID GO TO SLEEP DAMMIT!"_ And what's more unfair is that Tsume and Hige weren't affected. The song was just for me. What bull BLEEP!**

"Hang in there dammit!" Yzak called from his eye duel with Fllay.

"Too late." Kiba slurred as he tilted over and passed out into a nice and peaceful slumber.

"Ookay, I guess you win Cheza." Johnny chuckled.

"This one got tired of his hero trip." Cheza rolled her eyes as she headed over towards her team.

_**Kurama vs. Botan...**_

"Eight minutes on the clock guys!" Johnny shouted to the remaining competitors.

"This is the end of the line Botan. I can see the tears gathering at the corners of those big, beautiful, amethyst eyes of yours." Kurama stated with a smirking expression in his emerald gaze.

"Grrr. Quiet! I'm not going to cry!" Botan strained.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I have to admit that Kurama has a way with words. The way he speaks to you as if he knows everything, can make you feel so small sometimes. PAUSE Ugh! I HATE him!**

"There is no point in fighting the inevitable. A tear will fall, and so will your team." Kurama spoke darkly.

"Shut-up!" Botan grumbled, quite annoyed by the mocking expressions that reflected within Kurama's stare.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I'm usually not the type of person who would allow monetary issues to get in the way of a powerful friendship. However, after the way that these girls have behaved and treated us over the course of time, I'd have to say that they deserve all that is being dished to them. Besides, Botan is so cute when she's nervous. SMIRKS**

Botan bit down on her lip as she felt the liquid filling up at the corners of her eyes. She fought to keep it trapped within trembling lids, but could fight no longer as a single drop slid down her cheek. "Oh, crap!"

"Botan, you're out! Eight minutes, fifty six seconds on the clock everyone else." Johnny shouted.

"Ooh!" Botan pouted.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way for you." Kurama stated in his usual humble and studious tone.

"Oh shove it Kurama!" Botan griped as she stormed off to the side.

Kurama was slightly taken aback by her cold retort that he had to blink in order to allow her outburst to sink in. "Was it something I said?"

_**Wufei vs. Sally...**_

"I cannot believe that you are still hung up on that patriarchal bull BLEEP!" Sally stated with great vehemence.

"Hn! It's the only sensible form of government out there." Wufei spat.

"Preach Chang!" Duo shouted from a couple of seats down from the two.

"Shut-up Duo!" Sally and Wufei yelled in unison.

**Sally: Gundam Wing (Gals) I am so sick and tired of this boy's speeches on the weakness of women. "Women don't belong on the battlefield...weak this...useless that!" Oh get a clue already!**

"You can't win this. I can see you struggling. Further proof that your sex is indeed weaker." Wufei commented smugly.

"You have all the answers, don't you?" Sally replied sardonically.

"You've finally come to your senses then?" Wufei smirked.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) I could tell that she was struggling. Her eyes were starting to turn red. Hmph. A woman in self-inflicted purgatory. Is there nothing more pathetic?**

"Grr, this isn't over yet...y-you...jerk!" Sally strained.

**Sally: Gundam Wing (Gals) Okay, I admit it, my eyes were burning like Hitler in the afterlife, but hell if I let him know that!**

She was literally holding on for dear life, but the eye irritation soon became too much, and at nine minutes and fifty two seconds on the clock, her treacherous reflexes kicked in as her lids fell closed moistening her parched eyes.

"Sally!" Johnny began.

"Yeah, yeah, I know! BLEEP!" Sally rose to her feet defeated as she retreated to the side with her other teammates.

"Better luck next time." Wufei mocked earning the finger from Sally. "Hey, now, none of that." Wufei smirked.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) Women, such vindictive creatures. **

_**Kuwabara vs. Yukina...**_

"Ten minutes guys!" Johnny shouted.

"I must say, your endurance is impressive, Kuwabara." Yukina smiled softly as her ruby eyes bored into the former orange-haired boy's.

"Mmph!" Kuwabara trembled.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Damn, my eyes were on fire!**

"However I have to wonder; when we win, what will I do with the money? I really don't have a use for human world currency." Yukina mused as she continued to stare into Kuwabara's eyes.

"Mmph! Mmph!" Kuwabara forced out as he gripped his bouncing knees.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) It seemed as if Kuwabara was in some sort of pain.**

"Kuwabara, are you okay?" Yukina questioned in a most innocent tone as ten minutes and forty seconds passed on the clock.

"I-" Kuwabara squeaked.

"Kuwabara?" Yukina's eyes widened within her opponents.

"I...I..." Kuwabara squinted his eyes, his face scrunching in a rather unattractive fashion. "I...c-CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Kuwabara covered his burning eyes, excluding himself from the challenge.

"You're out!" Johnny called.

"Kuwabara you bitch!" Yusuke yelled from down the way in the middle of his face-off with Keiko.

"GRRR!" Kuwabara growled as he stormed off towards the sidelines.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Awww! What the hell is wrong with me! I'm always screwing up and it BLEEPING pisses me off!**

_**Dearka vs. Miriallia...**_

Eleven minutes had passed as the tanned-skinned Coordinator went head to head with what he believed to be the feistiest Natural chick he ever met.

"Oh come on, just blink already so we can win this challenge. You know you want to." Dearka teased.

"Save it Dearka, nothing you say can distract me from winning so you might as well give it up now." Miriallia stated flatly.

"You sure about that?" Dearka smirked.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) She doesn't know me very well, does she?**

"Beyond sure!" Miriallia shot back.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean why the hell would you get pissed that I plastered your face over a nude body and posted the pictures up on a Hentai site." Dearka smirked.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Gotcha!**

"You!" Miriallia fumed.

"Hmph." Dearka's mocking lavender eyes penetrated into Miriallia's striking blue ones.

"So, you're the culprit!" Miriallia shouted.

"Wait...what?" Dearka cocked an eye.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) I was just joking, so what the hell was she talking about?**

"Die you bastard!" Miriallia leaped for Dearka's throat, sending the two of them tumbling.

"Aw, BLEEP, not again!" Dearka groaned.

"Dearka and Miriallia, you're both out!" Johnny shouted.

"Ack!" Dearka coughed as Miriallia retained a death grip around his throat.

"Hit the loser bin guys!" Johnny called, seemingly unfazed by the fact that Miriallia was choking the life out of Dearka.

"Ack! H-help me, you dumbass!" Dearka choked.

"Shut-up you!" Miriallia growled as she repeatedly smashed Dearka's head into the ground.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) He ruined my image! The jerk had it coming!**

_**Duo vs. Hilde...**_

"Twelve minutes, thirty seven seconds guys!" Johnny announced.

"I tell ya Hil, between you being shamelessly underweight and your bloodshot eyes, you're starting to look more and more like a crack head!" Duo chuckled as Hilde nibbled on her lower lip in sheer agony from the torment of the air hitting her retinas. While Duo seemed to be completely unfazed by the entire thing.

"I-I...BLEEP dammit!" Hilde groaned.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Well, surely you know what happened after that. SIGHS**

"OW!" Hilde screamed as she shut her eyes tightly as if someone had just squirted a great dosage of lemon juice into them.

"HA HA!" Duo pointed and laughed victory.

"Shut the BLEEP up Duo!" Hilde growled as she rubbed her eyes in order to soothe the burn that rested there.

"Hilde, you're out!" Johnny shouted.

"Yeah, yeah!" Hilde sighed as she made her way to the "loser bin."

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about! STARTS TO DANCE IN CHAIR Get down "D" go 'head get down! Get down "D" go 'head get down! **

_**Yusuke vs. Keiko...**_

"Twelve minutes and fifty eight seconds." Johnny announced.

"Win and we're over!" Keiko threatened.

"Fine by me. That way I don't have to feel bad about cheating on you with Ms. Fifty Grand." Yusuke teased.

"Ugh!" Keiko strained.

"Man, you're really struggling." Yusuke pointed in mock concern. "You're gonna cry I know it!" Yusuke laughed as he remained calm in order to endure the challenge himself.

"Grrr!" Keiko growled.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I have to be honest, I hated today's challenge! Mostly because we were getting our arses kicked horribly!**

"Sorry Keiko, you're out! The judges saw that tear!" Johnny notified.

"YES!" Yusuke cheered as he hopped out of his seat. "Oh that's game!"

"How do you know?" Keiko groaned.

"Because, I'm Yusuke Urameshi. I know." Yusuke winked as he strut his way back over towards his team.

"Hmph!" Keiko turned on her heels.

_**Many minutes later...**_

"Well Sachiya, what do we have here?" Johnny regarded his assistant hostess.

"Ladies you have a final score of 5920." Sachiya announced rubbing her inexplicably throbbing cranium. She wasn't surprised when the girls barely cracked a smile. "However, the winner for today's challenge including paid tickets on a ten day _Carnival_ cruise through the Caribbean Islands and the MTV VIP special, with a final score of 7740...the boys!" Sachiya announced, pausing to give the guys time to chant their "OKAY's, YEAH's, and OO-RAH's." "Chibi Wolf Hero goes to Sesshomaru, for lasting the longest out of his entire team!" Sachiya congratulated the silver-haired demon who accepted the plushy with an ire frown on his face. "Dude come on be happy already, you guys won!"

"She's right Sessh, this calls for a party!" Ed exclaimed.

"Call me that again, and I'll rip you a knew wind pipe." Sesshomaru glared towards Ed for the butchering of his name.

"Geez man, sorry." Ed backed up...slowly.

"Aren't you at least _halfway_ pleased?" Goten asked.

"Hn." Sesshomaru huffed as he turned to brood down near the beach.

"Man that guy is weird." Dearka commented.

"Hmph! Don't even get me started!" Inuyasha grumbled as his now black tresses whipped in the afternoon wind.

Eliminations had gone as planned. Fairly both teams cut their weakest players. For the girls, they unfortunately ended up having to let Leara go, however when Trowa was selected for eliminations, Sesshomaru, surprisingly spared the gundam pilot by handing down his challenge reward. The day had came and went, and for the boys, it couldn't have gotten any better than what it was.

_**Happy times in White Shore HQ 1800 hours...**_

"WOO! Fellas those females got their asses brutally KICKED today!" Yusuke grinned from ear to ear as he plopped down on the couch with his newly issued _Game Informer_ magazine.

"Do you believe that Keiko meant what she said today, Yusuke?" Kurama questioned.

"What, about breaking up with me? NAH! She was just pissed 'cause her team was losing, she'll get over it." Yusuke waved as he turned a page in his magazine. "_Zelda and Metroid Fall into 2006?_ What the BLEEP!" Yusuke read the article's title aloud to himself in shock and utter disgust. (A/N: This is actually true guys, check out this month's issue of _GI_, page 32. and prepare to be pissed! I know I am! GRR!)

"Hiei man, that dragon tattoo is sick!" Duo commented as he witnessed Hiei removing his bandages from his arm. The braided boy just assumed that the bandages were to protect the Fire Demon because of a fresh tattoo.

"Hn." Hiei huffed.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Whoever thought the little guy had it in him to get tatted up? SMIRKS**

This drew the attention of Dearka, who was currently whipping Yzak in _Tekken 5_. He paused the game just as Yzak was beginning to gain the upper-hand. "Hey!" Yzak griped. (A/N: My bro does that crap all the time...so annoying!)

"That _is_ sick." Dearka commented as he made his way over towards Hiei. "Hey you know what? I was thinking of getting a hawk on my back, who did yours?" Dearka queried the small Fire Demon.

"What?" Hiei narrowed his eyes. "No one did this for me, I did it myself." Hiei furrowed his eyebrows, not quite sure as to what the crazy humans surrounding him were talking about.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Fools. What little knowledge they have of marks of power upon ones flesh. SHAKES HEAD**

Duo widened his eyes in shock at this. "No way! I am SO getting one of those! Hey can you do me?" Duo's eyes lit up then.

Hiei frowned in disgust. "You can NOT have this mark."

"Well whatever, I didn't want THAT one exactly, but could you do like a snake around my left arm?" Duo requested.

Hiei was about to open his mouth to protest, but then got a sudden thought. A dark smirk spread upon his lips then. "For a small fee." He raised.

"How much?" Duo folded his arms, a little bugged that Hiei would even consider charging for inking up a fellow teammate.

"$250." Hiei said without missing a beat.

"Oh come on man!" Duo complained.

"250, and that's my final offer." Hiei responded blandly.

Sighing, Duo gave in. "Fine, let's do this!"

"Alright then." Hiei then reached under the coffee table pulling out what appeared to be a briefcase. Opening it, he revealed tattoo equipment and design catalogues suitable for a traveling professional tattoo artist.

"Hiei, when did you invest in the art of tattooing?" Kurama questioned with raised eyebrows.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Has he completely lost his mind? BLANK STARE**

"Last month." Hiei answered as he began to set up his equipment. He noticed Kurama staring at him strangely from the corner of his eye. "A Fire Demon has to eat too, Kurama." Hiei responded flatly.

"Since when?" Kurama arched an eyebrow.

"Since the day he discovered 'sweet snow.'" Yusuke chuckled.

"Exactly. Now get over here boy." Hiei regarded Duo.

"D'oh!" Kurama slapped his forehead.

"Hey I'm next!" Dearka shouted, raising his hand as if he were in class.

"I'm after Dearka!" Athrun announced. Just then the entire team formed a line behind Duo, as Hiei prepped the braided gundam pilot in order to get his desired snake around his left arm. Hiei noticed how Kurama lagged behind and gave him a look before rubbing the alcohol on Duo's arm and plugging in his needle.

Sighing Kurama figured that it was indeed a time for celebration, and not for being spiffy and uptight. "Oh what the hell!" Kurama stated as he got in line.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Secretly, I've always wanted a rose on my back. AHEM, a very MANLY rose, mind you. COUGH COUGH SNIFF SNIFF**

"Steady yourself, Maxwell." Hiei warned as he finished applying the stencil and prepared to ink in the outline with his needle.

"What?" Duo questioned hoarsely, not really feeling comfortable with the devious smirk that rested upon Hiei's face.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I knew he was a little too eager to ink me up...**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Duo screamed, his voice echoing off of every corner of the villa as Hiei's needle repeatedly pulsed against his skin.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) That BLEEPING sadist!**

_**Evening in Starfish...**_

"...That's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about you using my hairspray without my permission!" Bra growled as she and Fllay began making meaningless arguments. Truly they were all just upset about losing. All except for Lacus, who continued to converse with Uesugi over the phone.

"...Yeah, those are my roommates. We lost today and so everyone is acting rather salty toward one another. No, I am upset yes, but I have no need or desire to start confrontation with anyone. Oh, that's so sweet of you. Really?" Lacus released a girlish giggle as Bra and Fllay continued to go at it in the background.

"...And what the HELL is THIS!" Fllay held up her champagne colored _Gucci _heels that had a dark stain on the tip. "Have you been wearing my shoes too!"

"Please, champagne is SO not my color." Bra rolled her eyes.

"Actually, Fllay..." Miriallia interrupted.

"What is it Mir?" Fllay sighed.

"That's coffee, from this morning...you had your shoes in the middle of the bedroom floor and ended up tripping over them, remember?" Miriallia reminded.

Looking up towards the ceiling as her memory was refreshed she fired up again. "Well, what the hell were they doing in the middle of the floor anyway? I always put my shoes back! Which means that someone was wearing them!" Fllay exclaimed.

"Yeah, you. When you snuck out to meet with Mik-" Fllay immediately slapped her hand over Miriallia's mouth in order to silence her.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) If she weren't my friend, I would've decked her for that, because...THAT hurt! FROWNS**

"What was that?" Bra narrowed her eyes. The anger building up if what she suspected Miriallia was going to say was true.

**Bra: Dragonaball Z/GT (Gals) Oh I KNOW, for a fact that Fllay is not THAT stupid to sneak around with the guy I met at _Razzle's_ that night. That's right lovely viewers, Lacus isn't the ONLY one of us who met a hot guy at the club. And if I find out Fllay's trying to pull a snatch on Mike, I'ma gonna kick me some hoochie ass!**

"Just forget it!" Fllay stated with a hint of treacherous venom in her voice.

"Oh no! We're talking about this, now! Are you seeing Mike behind my back!" Bra shouted.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Oh boy! Here we go! It's always something with these chicks! I knew from the beginning that those two were gonna fall out about something this retarded! How did I know you ask? Because they're a couple of brainless morons who only care about glitter, gold, and lest we forget...themselves. I think Kanye West even made a song about chicks like them! Hmm. MOCK PONDERING**

"Hey, princess! Who the hell is Mike?" Ryoko whispered to Aeka who just shrugged.

"That guy that Bra was talking to at the bar." Winry reminded.

"Didn't she shoot him down?" Serena commented.

"She's a very complex girl." Pan sighed as she changed the ice pack on her head. She had the worst headache, and it righteously pissed her off that the rest of her team wouldn't explain why.

"Hello! Bigger problems! Have you SEEN this debt report! Huh?" Faye waved the piece of paper in front of her teammates' faces, Hilde being the first to grab for it and look it over.

"Damn girl." Hilde shook her head and sighed.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Faye's debts were pretty BLEEPED up. I think if I woke up with debts that high, I'd run towards the nearest living thing and kill it. **

"I'll ask you one more time, are you sneaking around with Mike!" Bra demanded with balled fists.

"So what if I am!" Fllay placed her hand on her hip in a most stubborn manner, causing Bra to steam at the ears and growl in a most monstrous tone.

"Er, Fllay," Miriallia began, "please don't make super girl upset." Miriallia back-paddled.

"Ooh, super bitch is angry. Scary." Fllay mocked as she rolled her eyes.

"Alright bitch, we're scrappin!'" Bra was just about the lunge until the doorbell rang, throwing both girls off.

"Will you two settle down!" Lacus said in a hushed tone as she all but skipped to the door, leaving behind a room full of confused and distraught females.

"Lacus, what's going on?" Cagalli furrowed her brows as she heard Lacus squeal with excitement.

"He's here, he's here!" Lacus bounced up and down clapping her hands together after peering through the peep hole.

"He? Oh no, you don't mean..." Android 18's eyes widened in horror as she observed herself dressed in nothing but her headscarf and extra large t-shirt. She darted up the steps towards her room in order to put on something more appropriate.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I swear, she could've warned us!**

Many of the girls who were half-dressed scattered in order to make themselves presentable, while a few others lingered in the living area, quite eager to meet Lacus' mystery man.

**Catherine: Gundam Wing (Gals) I really wanted to see this guy, I mean from the way Lacus reacts at the ring of the phone! Put it this way, as of late, Pavlov's dogs haven't salivated as much as our pink haired princess. **

Taking a deep breath, Lacus straightened out her pastel calf-length sundress and turned the knob in order the let him in. Her eyes brightened once she laid eyes upon his handsome form. She was so excited to see him that she didn't notice her fellow roommates frozen in shock at the sight of him. Their jaws were nearly making contact with the carpet. Faye let her debt report slip from her fingers and onto the floor. Kagome's gum fell out of her mouth. Keiko held a _Dorito _lazily between her lips, before it fell to the counter top.

**Dorothy: Gundam Wing (Gals) Oh my...I can NOT believe that Lacus managed to snag HIM!**

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) STATE OF SHOCK**

Catherine was the only one of them who found the strength to speak. "Oh my GOD, it's..."

_**To be continued...**_

A/N: Oh boy, who could it be? Hmm? Have you figured out Lacus' mystery guy yet? If you have, don't tell anyone else, like when you review, don't say his name, but if you DO know then good for you; you know your anime guys. And if you don't, that's cool, then you'll be surprised next chapter! And I'm also gonna let you guys get a glimpse of Bra (and Fllay's lol) new guy too a bit later. You know, just for kicks! Next Friday at 8pm EST, _Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style Chapter 10: Lacus' BIG Mistake!_. Until then I'll holla!


	10. Lacus' Big Mistake!

A/N: Sup! Welcome to the next chapter! This chapter basically focuses in on Lacus' little issue with Uesugi and what her teammates think of him. All I have to say is, Lacus has a bit of a problem. Actually more like a BIG problem! And all her problems are here for your reading pleasure and entertainment purposes! Enjoy!

**Side Note: **I probably should have mentioned this in the beginning, but this story is kinda AU being that the timelines for each Anime are completely jacked up! Lol! So to clear things up, there is but one timeline for this entire story and that is Summer 2005! So there!

**Disclaimer: **I own not a damn one of these characters!

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 10: Lacus' Big Mistake!**

_"Will you two settle down!" Lacus said in a hushed tone as she all but skipped to the door, leaving behind a room full of confused and distraught females._

_"Lacus, what's going on?" Cagalli furrowed her brows as she heard Lacus squeal with excitement._

_"He's here, he's here!" Lacus bounced up and down clapping her hands together after peering through the peep hole..._

_Taking a deep breath, Lacus straightened out her pastel calf-length sundress and turned the knob in order the let him in. Her eyes brightened once she laid eyes upon his handsome form. She was so excited to see him that she didn't notice her fellow roommates frozen in shock at the sight of him. Their jaws were nearly making contact with the carpet. Faye let her debt report slip from her fingers and onto the floor. Kagome's gum fell out of her mouth. Keiko held a Dorito lazily between her lips, before it fell to the counter top..._

_Catherine was the only one of them who found the strength to speak. "Oh my GOD, it's..."_

"...It's...I...err...I...he..." Catherine continued to stutter, not believing who was standing before her.

**Catherine: Gundam Wing (Gals) I STILL can't believe we were actually in the same room together!**

"...It's..." Catherine continued still trying to overcome her sudden speech impediment.

"...Eiri Yuki!" Dorothy finished for her as she tried her hardest to breathe.

**Dorothy: Gundam Wing (Gals) Unreal!**

"Who is Eiri Yuki?" Ayame questioned lowly to a stunned Keiko.

"Who is Eiri Yuki?" Julia began, as her eyes remained glued upon the man in the doorway. "Only the best romantic novelist to ever breathe breath on God's green earth."

"Hmph." Faye huffed under her breath. "He's also the biggest jerk!" She whispered towards Keiko.

"Isn't he like thirty or something?" Botan whispered back.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Uh-oh!**

"He's 22." Meryl whispered back earning a loud gasp from the group of girls. This caught the attention of Lacus who only gave them a strange look as they all quickly straightened themselves giving off the most phony of smiles known to man.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) The girls were acting very strangely upon Uesugi's arrival. I couldn't understand why, he hadn't even spoken yet. But oh, when he did... SIGHS AS HER EYES TURN INTO GIANT HEARTS**

"Is it alright if I come in?" He questioned in a most melodic tone, instantly reeling Lacus in.

"Oh, why of course, Uesugi, come in!" Lacus guided him into the living area, shutting the door behind him not even noticing how silent and still the entire villa had become.

"Okay Lacus, you wanna make sure that before you invite your male company that you at least warn-" Android 18 had just come out of her room as she made her way back down stairs. She was just about to yell at Lacus, but upon sight of the other girl's 'male company' she found she had forgotten her next syllable. "Oh..."

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Of ALL the chicks in the world that guy could have, he picked our sweet little Lacus! But wait...isn't he involved with someone? **

"Uesugi, welcome...these are my roommates. Keiko, Faye, Hilde, Kagome, Meryl, Botan, Ryoko, Aeka, Fllay, Bra, Miriallia, but sometimes we call her Millie, Julia over there with her head in the freezer, Catherine is the one fanning her, Dorothy is the one whom you just saw rush past us, Android 18 there on the stairs, oh and Ayame, and... I don't really know where the rest of the girls are. They were here a minute ago...oh well, you can meet them all later. Girls this is Uesugi." Lacus began with introductions.

"Why is she calling him Uesugi?" Botan whispered into Faye's ear.

"Knowing that ass BLEEP, he probably gave her a fake name." Faye spat as she glared into Uesugi's direction. "As far as I'm concerned, his name is Eiri Yuki." She huffed.

"It could be a pseudonym you know. Eiri Yuki." Hilde raised.

"Whatever." Faye snorted.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) That guy is bad news! Don't ask me how I know, just know that I know what I know! And I know that that guy is an ass BLEEP!**

"It's nice to meet you all." Uesugi nodded.

"Hi." The girls chorused like a bunch of school children.

"Hmph!" Faye, unable to take his presence any longer, angrily got out of her seat making her way towards the stairs and for her bedroom. Uesugi watched her retreating form with a smirk on his face until Lacus brought him out of his thoughts.

"Would you like something to drink?" Lacus offered.

"Thank you." Uesugi nodded as he took a seat on the aquamarine colored sofa.

"Alright, I'll be just a moment!" Lacus stated excitedly as she trotted into the kitchen, stepping over a passed out Julia as she headed toward the refrigerator.

"Lacus!" Android 18 came up behind the pink-haired Coordinator, whispering cautiously.

"Yes?" Lacus answered as she retrieved some ice cubes from the freezer.

"Lacus, I don't think it's a good idea to talk to this guy." Android 18 warned, being sure to keep her voice at a low level.

"Why on earth not?" Lacus sighed, slightly irritated.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) I knew that this would happen. Queue the jealousy induced speeches, now! GROWLS**

"Because, I've...well, word of mouth is a powerful thing." Android 18 nibbled on her lower lip.

"What have you heard?" Lacus released an exasperated sigh.

"Well, just...I mean I've read many of his books, and he's known to be rather self-centered. The guy brags on his lovemaking skills Lacus! He's a complete narcissistic bastard for sobbing out loud. I mean come on, we get enough of that BLEEP next door!" Android 18 informed grimly.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Sure my information comes through the grapevine, but usually that's the best source, if you get what I'm saying! **

"Well, he's been very kind to me. And truly that's all that matters, right?" Lacus replied as she poured some lemonade into a glass.

"Probably because he's trying to get under your skirt!" Android 18 rolled her eyes.

"18, enough! Now, if you'll excuse me!" Lacus snapped as she walked around Android 18, carrying Uesugi's drink in one hand.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Oh my GOD, how smart do you have to be?**

"Here you go." Lacus said in her most angelic voice as she served Uesugi his drink.

"Thank you." He accepted the drink with a charming smile, causing Lacus to instantly melt in his gaze.

"Well, well, well, so _you're_ the guy that's been keeping our little pink-haired princess up all hours of the night." Fllay made her way towards Uesugi with a cocked eye as she looked him up and down. "I can see why." Fllay smirked deviously catching the attention of a much angered Bra.

"Oh do you EVER quit!" Bra growled.

"What? I was just saying hi!" Fllay retorted.

"Out of that entire sentence, not ONCE did I hear the word 'hi'!" Bra placed her hands on her hips.

"Ladies, not here." Lacus spoke from the corner of her mouth in warning, as her eyebrow began to quiver in irritation.

"Yes, let's not make Uesugi here think that we're in any way uncivilized!" Aeka scolded as she tried her hardest to take her eyes off of Lacus' guest.

**Aeka: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) He is quite the looker. However, there's something about him that I...can't quite put my finger on. Hmm.**

"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!" Kagome suddenly blurted out. Noticing everyone's eyes on her, she immediately felt embarrassed from her outburst and hopped up from her bar stool. "Uhh, I just remembered! I, err...have to...err...not be here!" Kagome hurriedly rushed up the stairs, skipping steps on her way to her room, and slamming the door shut behind her.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) This is bad! This is really REALLY bad! It took me a while to remember that article that I read in my issue of Teen Scene, but when I did...oh...bad, bad, bad! Lacus has TOTALLY bombed!**

Once Kagome had made it into her room, she noticed that Cagalli, Yukina, Serena, and Sango were seemingly hiding out there reading and talking. Any other time she would be annoyed, but she absolutely had to vent her revelation to a member of the team that was _not_ Lacus at that moment and time.

"Oh my god, you guys are NOT going to believe this!" Kagome panted as she leaned against the door.

"What is it Kagome?" Sango questioned as she sat up on her bed in her t-shirt and bikini bottoms. She was planning on taking a swim in their pool later on.

"Lacus' guy! He's Eiri Yuki!" Kagome started, not surprised when she only managed to get a reaction out of Serena.

"Who?" Cagalli arched an eyebrow.

"Eiri Yuki! He's the hottest romantic novelist out there! I'm guessing his real name is Eiri Uesugi, since that's what Lacus keeps calling him." Kagome continued.

"Ah, so Lacus is talking to a celebrity, huh? Big shocker there." Cagalli added sarcastically.

"N-n-no, you...you don't understand!" Kagome began to pace back and forth.

"Is there something wrong?" Yukina questioned.

"YES! That's what I've been TRYING to tell you guys! Grr!" Kagome growled in frustration.

"Well tell us already!" Cagalli demanded.

"I think he might be seeing someone!" Kagome finally managed to get out.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) And Brad cheated on Jen with Angelina. Lifestyles of the rich and famous here, people.**

"Okay, so he's a _two-timing_ celebrity, go figure." Cagalli rolled her eyes.

"Uh-uh, it's more to it than that." Kagome began to twiddle her fingers anxiously.

"Ooh, I think I know what you're going to say." Serena began to bite her nails.

"He's...well...he's known to be...Eiri Yuki's..." Suddenly Kagome's bedroom door swung open and Faye poked her head in to finish the sentence that she had been listening in on.

"...Queer as folk!"

"Exact-wait...WHAT?" Kagome choked along with the rest of her roommates.

"You heard me. I thought you knew Kagome." Faye frowned.

"I was gonna say promiscuous!" Kagome shrieked.

"Well, yeah...that too." Faye groaned.

"Holy BLEEP are you serious!" Cagalli gulped.

"Oh my GOD!" Kagome slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Oh no." Sango shook her head.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) How the HELL were we gonna break this to Lacus!**

"Oh...poor Lacus." Yukina sympathized.

"Hmph, please! She's better off without that jerk! Even if he is bi!" Faye huffed.

"Bi? But you just said he was-"

"I know what I said." Faye cut off Cagalli.

"So he likes women, too?" Sango leaned in.

"Okay, getting deeper now!" Kagome listened in.

"Faye, how do you know all of this?" Serena tilted her head.

"I just...do, alright!" Faye snapped, sighing once she saw the confused looks plastered upon her roommates' faces. "He brags about his screwing abilities with WOMEN all the time, so that's how I know, okay!" Faye answered rather quickly.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) Hmm, I think Faye might be hiding something.**

_**Rather Painful Moments in White Shore...**_

"OW man DAMN!" Yusuke cried out as Hiei proceeded to ink in the tribal style sun on his abdomen. He had had to resort to turning on the radio to block out the annoying sounds of their whining. Unfortunately, blasting Pretty Ricky's "Your Body" mixed with screaming and moaning boys somehow only made it disturbing.

"Stop squirming you fool!" Hiei spat. "You're going to ruin the design! And Yzak, stop rubbing your back against the wall, you're going to infect the wound!"

"Grr! I can't help it! The bandage is making it itch, can't I take this off and just leave the ointment on?" Yzak complained as he tried to resist scratching the fresh kanji j'un and lu'an on the upper middle portion of his back.

"No! Wait three days and then you can take off the bandage. Until then, stop crying you weak human!" Hiei shot back as he continued to fill in the tribal sun on Yusuke's stomach, ignoring the other's constant groans of pain and discomfort.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Hiei's a hella good tattoo artist; I'll give him that! And he works so fast! But the word "gentle" is definitely not in the little guy's vocabulary. Kuwabara had to get blackout drunk just to get his name written in kanji on his left arm. Although something tells me that Hiei was hurting _him_ on purpose, I dunno...call it a hunch. SHRUGS**

"What time is it?" Android 17 questioned to Ed as the two of them resisted the urge to scratch their tattoos. Android 17 having gotten a bullet on the left side of his chest, and Ed an alchemist symbol on his upper left arm.

"A quarter after eight. Why?" Ed answered; he was slightly confused once he saw the android smirking.

"Oh I almost forgot about him." Android 17 chuckled.

"Who?" Heero interjected as he placed an ice pack over the dragon kanji on the back of his neck.

"Lacus' 'boyfriend.'" Android 17 choked back a laugh as he headed towards the window.

"She already _has_ a boyfriend!" Kira shouted venomously. His mood definitely conflicting with the kanji tattoo on his upper right arm that stood for 'peace.'

"Who?" Athrun cocked an eye.

"Hello! Me!" Kira shouted.

"I thought that you and Fllay were talking." Trowa looked confused.

"Nah, that's over." Kira shooed that issue away with his hand.

"How did you know that Lacus was having company, 17?" Athrun queried.

"I'm incredibly nosey...and also, my sister was complaining about it earlier over the phone." Android 17 half-laughed.

"Oh." Athrun nodded.

"Hey, from the looks of it, you Kira are the _last_ thing on Lacus' mind right now!" Hige teased as he, Tsume and Android 17 spied in on the girls' villa to witness a blonde male conversing, very closely, with Lacus on the sofa. "God bless enhanced vision." Hige chuckled.

"Why do they have their blinds wide open like that anyway?" Tsume shook his head.

**Tsume: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Females are so dumb. No matter the species.**

"Putting on a show!" Android 17 smirked at the sight of Lacus' so-called boyfriend with his arm draped over her shoulders.

"Move!" Kira shoved them out of the way of the window to get a look for himself. He was by far beyond disrupted at the display. "I don't believe her!"

"Hey, not to add salt to your gaping wound but erm...he looks older than her." Hige observed. "Kiba, what do you think? Older?"

Kiba then made his way over towards the window to catch a glimpse of the guy in question. "Oh yeah, definitely older."

"YOU PEDOPHILE!" Kira shouted towards the young man as if he could be heard.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Come on dude, have you learned nothing from R. Kelly?**

"Kira please, calm down." Kurama chided as he checked out the fresh rose tattoo on his back. It was rather exquisite looking, with its black tribal style stem and deep red petals. Not at all feminine. Between his long now black hair, new tattoo, and current shirtless state, he was starting to resemble a rock star.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Who would have ever taken Hiei for such a talented artist. I must say that I'm quite impressed.**

"What is it that has you in such an uproar, Kira?" Kurama questioned as he abandoned gawking at his new tattoo to head towards the window.

"Look at this!" Kira pointed across the way towards the image of Lacus being tickled by her male company.

"Hmm." Kurama narrowed his eyes towards the man whom Lacus seemed so taken with. "Oh my." Kurama widened his eyes.

"What?" Android 17 furrowed his brows.

"That gentlemen, I know him from...oh...OH...OHH NO!" Kurama lit up as his memory was soon refreshed on the guy's identity.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) How could she be so foolish? And HIM, what exactly is going through his head? He must be up to something.**

"What's going on?" Duo approached the group by the window trying his hardest to peer over their shoulders to get a peek at the main attraction.

"Lacus has made a very unwise decision." Kurama filled the braided boy in.

"That's what _I_ keep saying!" Kira raised his hands in frustration.

"No I _really_ mean that she has made an unwise decision." Kurama's eyes widened.

"Spill it man." Vash pushed.

"Well I'm sure you've all heard of the infamous romantic novelist Eiri Yuki?" Kurama began, disappointed, yet not surprised, by all of the blank stares and silence on his teammates' part. He was more than certain that he even heard a cricket chirp. "Well, aside from that, he's a renown writer, his works are incredible. However, by reputation he's known to be rather devious." Kurama sighed.

"Devious? _That_ guy?" Spike pointed earning a nod from Kurama. "So, Lacus got herself a bad boy, huh? Figures, it's always the sweet and innocent ones." Spike chuckled.

"That's not all there is to him." Kurama cringed slightly.

"Well?" Ed pressed.

"As a devoted fan of his works, I've made it my own business to delve into _his _business." Kurama began, quite aware of the strange looks being cast his way by the others. "Don't ask."

"Oh, we won't." Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Well, as it stands he's seeing someone." Kurama was a little taken aback once the entire room burst out into laughter. Hiei having to stop inking for a moment to give himself and Yusuke the safe space they needed to completely crack up.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) HAHAHAHAHAHA Lacus is the other woman! HAHAHAHA**

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Well, she should have done her homework first on the guy! I mean come on, what do you expect from a dude who double-tips your table dance? WTF**

"No, listen! There's more that you don't understand!" Kurama tried to shout over the laughter and the loud speakers blaring Dem Franchise Boys "I Think They Like Me (Remix)." "Seriously you don't understand!" Kurama shouted once more.

"Oh no, we understand!" Heero doubled over onto the ground.

"I sure hope Lacus took Cat fighting 101!" Duo coughed out.

"Hell yeah!" Wufei held his stomach from the pain of laughing so hard.

"Hey fellas! It's about to be a what?" Dearka started to which all of the boys followed behind with...

"GIRLFIGHT!"

"No, no, you see that's the thing, he's seeing a guy!" The room instantly lost sound, including the radio, as every individual sat there frozen and in a state of shock. Only the sounds of the air conditioning humming could be heard as all eyes stayed glued upon Kurama's form for a good moment before...

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The entire room burst out laughing once more, and this time they all had tears in their eyes.

"Aw BLEEP! Dude, tell me you're BLEEPING joking!" Vash convulsed with laughter.

"No, I'm serious." Kurama responded flatly.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I find none of this funny. This is actually very serious. Lacus is digging herself an extremely deep hole.**

"Now THAT'S rich!" Miroku was nearly on his deathbed from laughing.

"You know what, I think I feel better." Kira sighed with a wide grin.

"What, you don't think she knows?" Hige questioned.

"Hell no she doesn't know!" Kira snorted.

"You know she's going to find out eventually." Yzak half-chuckled.

"And dammit, I wanna be there when she does." Kira nodded, bursting out into one final heavy laugh before settling down at the bar and pouring himself some punch. "Aw man...he's seeing a guy." Kira shook his head as he took a sip of his punch. "Wow. I tell ya. Hmph!" He continued to sip his punch and make menial side comments as the news sunk into his advanced brain.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Lacus, Lacus, Lacus. Sweet, beautiful Lacus. Why are you doing this to yourself?**

_**Social Call in Starfish...**_

"...So Yuki is my pseudonym, but you can call me Uesugi, or Eiri, whichever you prefer." Yuki put on his extra charming smile as he and Lacus sat upon the living room sofa, the girls having given them the needed alone time.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) Oh there a few names that I could think of to call him. WINKS AT CAMERA**

"Yuki...it's all beautiful to me." Lacus swooned generating a smirk from his lips. Though her roommates had given them space, that didn't mean that they couldn't spy. And surely at the top of the steps sat a crowd of extremely nosey females.

"22 huh?" Keiko shook her head.

"Christ! She's 16!" Sally grumbled.

"Ohh, he doesn't care." Ryoko sighed.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Kinda makes you think he's a pervert doesn't it?**

"Obviously neither does Lacus." Blue added.

"But he should be the responsible one and say: look, this can't work, you're way too young for me, and I think we should just be friends!" Sally frowned.

"Sal's got a point!" Pan nodded.

"Maybe they _are_ just going to be friends." Winry shrugged, but instantly erased that notion once she witnessed the couple in question exchanging kisses. "Or not."

**Sally: Gundam Wing (Gals) Unbelievable! What is he thinking! PAUSE Yeah...okay...stupid question. **

Just then, Kagome along with the rest of the team stepped out of her room only to run into a crowd in the hallway.

"What are you guys doing?" Cagalli sighed.

"Nothing." Ayame waved.

"Right." Sango responded dryly.

"What's wrong with _you _girls? You appear as if you've seen a ghost." Botan inquired.

"Oh, nothing." Kagome sighed with raised eyebrows.

"No, something's up." Keiko pressed.

"Is Lacus still downstairs with that guy?" Serena asked warily.

"Oh you _know_ she is." Keiko smirked.

"Hmph! Of course she is!" Faye puffed under her breath as she headed towards the steps only to be stopped by Catherine.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Catherine furrowed her brows.

"I'm thirsty, hence my water-getting." Faye spat as she snatched her arm away from Catherine and continued down the steps.

"But..."

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) What? Lacus invites a complete BLEEP head over and suddenly we're confined to our rooms? I'm a grown ass woman! I do and go as I please!**

Faye made her way towards the kitchen catching sight of the make out couple on the couch. Letting out a disgusted sigh, she proceeded to open the fridge to retrieve her vodka and punch. As she began pouring her drink, she felt eyes upon her and couldn't help but look up only to find Yuki staring her down with a devious smirk in his eyes as he continued to make out with Lacus. His stares were beyond unnerving, and before she knew it she had overfilled her drink as the liquid began to spill over on the countertop creating quite a mess.

"Aw, BLEEP!" Faye quietly cursed to herself as she quickly grabbed for some paper towel and began to clean up her mistake. She knew that he was still staring, she could feel his teasing eyes, and at this point all she wanted to do was hurry and clean up her mess, get her drink and get the hell out of there.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Damn him to Hell!**

She had finished cleaning up her spilled drink and started to sip from her glass as she headed out of the kitchen. She was about to head back towards the stairs and go back to her room until her eyes met up with his once more. His mocking gaze sent chills up and down her spine as she sipped her drink. And once he winked at her teasingly in the midst of basically devouring the pink-haired Coordinator, she nearly dropped her vodka and punch.

"Oh that's...I'm gone!" She announced as she grabbed for her purse and headed towards the door.

"Faye?" Lacus retreated from her lip lock with Yuki as she watched Faye hurriedly making it for the door.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Ugh! I BLEEPING hate him! With a bloody passion and the flames of a thousand suns do I utterly hate everything that is Eiri Yuki!**

"Call me when you take out the TRASH!" Faye yelled back as she and her drink left the villa, slamming the door behind the both of them.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) No one knows where Faye went, but wherever she was she was totally P.O'd. Yuki really seemed to bug her. I mean from what I've heard I can understand why he'd bother her a little, I mean even _I_ was annoyed with him, but she was just completely outraged! It was weird. **

"What is wrong with Faye?" Cheza questioned as she approached from the backdoor just in time to witness Faye's speedy departure.

"I don't know, she just left." Lacus shrugged as Yuki stood behind her with a knowing smirk upon his handsome features. Though she couldn't see him with her eyes, she could feel his presence, and Cheza didn't like what she felt.

"Hmm." Cheza frowned.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) He is all wrong. But it is not This one's place to say anything to Lacus. She will soon find out. This one believe's the word is...jerk?**

"My, that was odd." Aeka sighed.

"Hmm." Kagome could only cast knowing looks into Cagalli, Sango, Yukina, and Serena's direction.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) Yeah okay..._now_ I know what's wrong with Faye. Man this is all so very...wrong! Dammit, Lacus!**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) TEARY EYED Why does everything have to be so BLEEPED up? We're losing this contest! My debts have doubled! And now this! TEAR FALLS God I BLEEPING hate him SO much! He's just...a heartless bastard!**

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) She's DEFINITELY hiding something! HUFFING AND PUFFING**

_To Be Continued..._

xXx

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A/N: Well, next chapter's promised a challenge and some serious...SERIOUS confusion. Not the kind of confusion where you won't know what the hell is going on but the kind of confusion that involves a lot of fights, arguing, he said, she said and some stress and drama for our favorite characters coming up next week on _Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style Chapter 11: Sunken Ship/Liars and Cheaters!_ Until next week, I'll holla! 


	11. Sunken Ship & Liars and Cheaters!

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry that I delayed the updates. Funny story actually. Okay, not THAT funny, but it is when I look back on it. Okay, the beginning of this hellish three weeks was when I accidentally saved the next chapter "Strip Jeopardy" (Oh boy!), in the place of this chapter. I almost posted it too! That would've been a disaster. You guys would've been all confused like: "hey, what the hell is this? did I accidentally skip over a chapter or something or were you just incredibly drunk when you typed this?" So, after I sulked and righteously cussed myself out for my carelessness and stupidity, I decided to breathe and resolve. I ended up having to re-type the chapter. But it gets better. Days later, I got into a car accident, slowing me down horribly! (I'm okay though, nothing too serious). So I had to deal with THAT drama. And the pinnacle of hell on my hell-o-meter was definitely the computer virus that caused me to resort to restoring the entire system, erasing all of my work! GRR! Luckily though, I made backups of all of my stories...but my music! Dammit, my music! I couldn't save it all! I don't even remember half of the stuff I downloaded! I literally cried tears throughout all of this (I'm such a baby!). Honestly, the most uplifting and inspiring event that has occurred was the privilege I received of viewing the body of the legendary Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks. That opportunity in particular, to just be in the presence of such an important instrument of American history, and those of the lives she changed truly brought light into my darkness. And though she is dead, the legacy and pathway that she helped to make for not only African-Americans but humanity itself is enough to bring a smile to anyone's face. So yeah that was a major honor and inspiration for me to keep on moving no matter the circumstance. R.I.P Rosa Parks. Anyway, I tell you now that I am back and on a roll, and also as a bonus, I've opened up an aff dot net account to post the uncut version of this story on that site. You know, just so you can get a glimpse of what's behind the BLEEP and also some deleted scenes. With the appearance of Eiri Yuki, along with the themes of future chapters things may start getting a little...sexually explicit...but in a funny, awkward way, nothing too lemony, but still, it's best to be safe. Okay, that's out of the way, thank you so much for all of the reviews, I love you guys way too much! I'm glad you're still enjoying the fic, and trust me, things are gonna get HOT! So don't go anywhere, because this fic isn't, _so you got to stay tuned! 'Cause there's more to see! Unbreakable! Through the **technical difficulties**! Unbreakable! I might have to take a break, but ya'll know I'll be back next week singing, this fic is unbreakable! _Ah, Alicia Keys, that's my girl! I LOVE that song! Read and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **See the first few chapters for disclaimer (I get tired of doing that crap!)

**Song Disclaimers: **"Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" lyrics ownership of Chris Isaak. "Sick Inside" lyrics ownership of Hope Partlow.

**Side Note: **In the confessionals which are in bold, just to help your imagery as you read, when the characters say what the f, it will be typed like so "**what the BLEEP!** However, when it's just a facial expression it is abbreviated like so, **WTF**. Get it? Got it? Good! Now on with the show.

**Warning: **Damn this chapter is long! Man, what the BLEEP is wrong with me:-O

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 11: Sunken Ship/Liars and Cheaters**

Faye hovered over the bar counter in one of the darkest and rough lounges in town. Her expression was anything less than distraught and irritated. She had been away from the villa and the rest of her team for two hours she had noticed as she spared the wall clock a glance. The dim red lights that shrouded the room fit her mood perfectly as did the dark and soft sounds of Kool & the Gang's "Summer Madness" that hummed through the loud speakers. Both comforting and filling. She took a swig of her rum and coke feeling the warmth of the alcohol rush down her throat and throughout her entire system.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Don't go getting any ideas! I'm not turning to the bottle or anything, but sometimes you just need to...get away. Not just from other people, but from yourself. BRIEF PAUSE Ooh, that was deep! I'm writing that one down! PULLS OUT NOTEPAD AND PEN**

She didn't really want to be noticed and so she made sure to dress down from her usual skimpy get up and instead had covered herself in a long raincoat, despite the lack of rain. She reached into her coat pocket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes, tapping the back end to pull out a menthol flavored stick and placing it between her lips. She then began to pad around her body searching for a light until a hand came around from behind, saving her the burden as the end of the cigarette lit up, a ghost of smoke slithering from its tip. She closed her eyes and quietly huffed under her breath before taking a drag. She knew who was there as she felt them sit down on the bar stool beside her.

"What, no 'thank you?'" The sly male voice spoke.

"Hmph, don't kid yourself." Faye snorted as she took the cigarette between her fingers, tapping off the excess ashes into a nearby tray.

"Hmm, how rude." They spoke in a most annoying and mocking tone.

"Wouldn't _you_ know?" Faye growled. There was a beat before she decided to speak once more. "Where's your little girlfriend?"

"Still at the villa with the rest of your 'team.'" He answered simply.

"So, what lie did you tell her in order to slip away so easily?" Faye narrowed her eyes, still not looking into his direction.

"I told her I was going out for a drink, and that I would love for her to accompany me but unfortunately you have to be 21 to get in." He replied as a matter of factly causing Faye's eyes to widen, dumbfounded.

"Oh."

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Whatever! He's still an ass BLEEP! FOLDS ARMS AS FACE GOES SUPER DEFORMED**

"Look, I'm not going to beat around the bush here, Yuki. We need to talk." Faye went straight to the point.

"Go ahead. What's on your mind?" Yuki nodded as he motioned for the bartender to bring the two of them a drink. The soft and relaxing sounds of Vanessa Daou's "Don't Explain" serenaded the lounge then, the room lighting changing to that of a cool blue. Yuki could tell that Faye was struggling over her words. He chuckled to himself quite pleased to know that he was having such an effect on her. He used the time she spent in her cigarette nibbling session to pull out his own stick, placing it coolly between his lips and lighting.

"Okay, Lacus. She is a very nice girl. A little on the gullible side, but sweet. And you are lower than I thought if you try to take advantage of her." Faye started, pointing with her cigarette occupied fingers as she leaned onto the bar counter.

"Who says I'm taking advantage?" Yuki shrugged, slipping the bartender his pay as the man sat down two Screaming Orgasms. He noticed that Faye gave the drink a sour look, causing him to smirk into her direction. "Something wrong?" He questioned coyly.

"Interesting choice of drinks." Faye responded flatly.

"Well, you know me." He smirked.

"Yes, and the more I do, the more I love shooting things." Faye snapped.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) OH MY GOD! This guy is SUCH a piece of WORK! Ugh! It's like he thinks he's God's gift to women or something! Well, women AND men! The BLEEPING man-whore!**

"No?" Yuki offered her the drink but noted her death-glares and only shrugged and simply kept them both for himself.

"I'm not going to let you hurt that girl like that! Lacus has become very important to not only me, but all of us! We're a team! And I'll be damned if she winds up depressed and unable to function in the challenge because of something you did to her!" Faye laid it out straight.

"Ah, so that's what this is all about huh? Winning?" Yuki nodded knowingly.

"No, that's not..." Faye trailed, highly annoyed with him at the moment.

"Lacus told me about your little game." Yuki explained as he took one last swig of his second drink.

"It's not a game." Faye stated vehemently.

"Whatever. She also told me that your team hasn't been doing so well lately. That must kill." Yuki stated flatly as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"What business is it of yours?" Faye retorted.

"What business is it of yours of what Lacus and I do in our private time?" Yuki smirked, a sudden naughty thought coming to mind of what he and Lacus could be doing in that said 'private time.' Faye could see right through this, almost as if she could see the thoughts projecting through his amorous mind and it made her want to vomit.

"Ugh! It's every bit of my business since I know what you're capable of!" Faye glared at him knowingly.

"What? Are you still pissy about that?" Yuki took another drag of his cigarette rather nonchalantly as he glanced at Faye from the corner of his eye.

"Hell yeah I'm still _pissy_ about that BLEEP! As if I wasn't in debt enough already, you had to go and do something as scandalous as..." Faye violently whispered, trailing as she tried her hardest not to raise her voice.

Yuki took one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the tray. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, it was a best seller." Yuki stated sarcastically.

"No, it doesn't." Faye answered through gritted teeth, trying desperately to keep her cool.

Yuki only shrugged as he absently ran his finger over the rim of his empty glass. "You can't get mad at me you know. It's not my fault you're easy." Yuki smirked.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) And that did it! I SOOOO wanted to pound him right then and there! I mean I was like two seconds from doing so, but then a thought struck me. And this thought was totally _Campbell's_. Mmm-mmm good! SLY SMIRK**

Faye balled up her fist at her sides, gnashing her teeth as her face turned fifty million shades of red. She could feel the tips of her ears heat up with rage and frustration. She was about to lunge, but suddenly a calm overcame her, as her mind relaxed along with her body.

Yuki had noted her mood change, and furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her from the corner of his eye. He saw her lean back, sigh and then a strange alluring smile rest upon her lips. He was needless to say confused as she gave the bar counter a few absent taps with the palm of her hand before speaking again in a disturbingly calm tone.

"Okay. I see how you play." She spoke with a voice as soft and enticing as velvet. Even Yuki found himself becoming quickly absorbed. She slid down from her bar stool, and moved closer to his still sitting form. She was so close to him that he could feel the heat of her breath on his cheek. "But don't forget Yuki, two can play this game," she seductively placed a hand on his upper thigh then, and inwardly chuckled once she felt the muscle quiver beneath her touch "but only one can win."

"Hmph, whatever." Yuki still held his ground. She was getting to him but he'd jump from a fifty foot building and slit his throat on the way down before he let her know that. Unfortunately, it was already too late. Faye could read him like a novel. Ironic, considering who he was.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Oh yeah...I still got it. Tomorrow, let the games begin. Victory is going to be mine twice! With both the challenge and with the queen, and yes I mean QUEEN of man-whores! KISSES AT CAMERA AND DIABOLICALLY CHUCKLES**

_**Baby did a bad, bad thing. Baby did a bad, bad thing...**_

"See you later." Faye winked as she tipped the bartender and strut her way towards the exit, a smirk of confidence and deviance plastered upon her face. She had made it to the door and stopped to spare Yuki one last glance. Blowing him a mocking kiss, she quickly turned the tables on the blonde Don Juan as his eyes widened towards her change in behavior. Snapping her head back around she made her stylish exit and disappeared into the night.

_**...You ever toss and turn you're lying awake and thinking about the one you love, I don't think so...It hurts so bad when you finally know just how low, low, low, low, low she'll go. Baby did a bad, bad thing...and I feel like crying...**_

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

Botan stretched in her bed as her alarm went off at a quarter to six, like always. She had started a system where she was the first to awaken in the entire villa. This had not only won her extra time in the bathroom, but also a room to herself being that Keiko was rather adamant to the idea of waking up at such a ridiculous hour. After all, they were technically on vacation.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I figure this, I wake up before the rest of the girls, that gets me more time in the bathroom, to myself to just think. And also, watching the boys do their morning exercises is rather entertaining. But something about them was different this morning. They were all shirtless and had somehow mysteriously gone back to their natural hair colors overnight! Weird. But one thing that really caught my eye...BITES LIP**

"Oh my." Botan gasped to herself as she opened up her bedroom window to gaze out into the distance towards the boys' villa. Her eyes caught sight of red wine tresses flowing in the morning breeze softly against bare, slightly tanned, shoulders. She had to blink twice at the sight of the picture on their back. "Is that what I think it is?" Botan rubbed her eyes to be sure that she was seeing correctly. "A tattoo?"

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Kurama, got a tattoo! WTF**

She watched as the shirtless boys proceeded to do everything from push-ups to running laps around their villa, thankfully keeping their chanting quiet. Apparently they didn't feel like hearing the girls' mouths this morning. Botan noticed something however about all of them. "They ALL have tattoos?" Botan widened her eyes. Though her focus would shift from each individual she found her eyes repeatedly being glued upon a certain red-haired gentlemen with the rose tattoo on his back. "Wow." Botan shook her head, she'd be lying if she said that he didn't look...right. He was in the process of doing push-ups, but suddenly she saw his head turn towards her window, casting her a soft smile. Obviously, he knew that she was watching him. "Oh no!" Botan gasped as she quickly jumped away from the window, her cheeks taking on a deep cherry tint. "Ugh, how embarrassing! Now he's going to think I have the hots for him or something!"

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) That's ridiculous! Now, I would have to deal with him sending me weird smiles for the rest of the day! I know how Kurama is, he's good for that! This would definitely wreck my concentration! GRRR!**

Botan quickly trotted to the bathroom in order to wash off her inevitable humiliation. On her way to the bathroom she saw Faye just entering into the villa's front door. Blinking, she could only stop and stare at the woman who stared back with that deer caught in the headlights look. "Err, you're just getting back?" Botan questioned the obvious, nervously.

"Umm, yeah, I...had to take off." Faye stammered as she hung up her coat.

"We were worried about you, you didn't tell us where you were." Botan frowned. It had annoyed her that Faye would just take off without giving word of where she was headed and when she would be back.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Faye sighed as she made her way towards Botan.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Oh trust me, it was ALL worth it! DEVIOUS GRIN**

"Well, you should try and get some rest, I have a feeling that the challenge is going to be quite tiresome!" Botan shook off her irritated state and instead rushed towards the bathroom, wanting to be able to relax in the shower without having to hear a bunch of whining and complaining females banging on the door. "You're okay?" She questioned as she headed towards the bathroom.

"Yep!" Faye plopped down onto the couch, a satisfied grin playing upon her lips. "Never been better." She finished to herself.

_**...Baby did a bad bad thing. Baby did a bad bad thing.**_

_**White Shore 0820 hours...**_

"Whass thats fors?" Dearka lisped, twisting his tongue repeatedly inside his mouth as he stretched across the living couch in his pajama bottoms. He looked up towards the once again silver-haired Coordinator who stood before him with two cups. One with ice, and another with _Listerine_.

"It's for you." Yzak stated flatly.

"I thon't need it." Dearka groaned.

"_Yes you do_!" He heard Hiei call from the top of the steps. It sounded like he was headed for the bathroom. "_That's a fresh piercing you fool_!"

Dearka only let out a heavy sigh. As it turned out, Hiei did piercings as well urging Android 17, Duo and Dearka to add to their self-mutilation. Android 17 had gotten the cartilage portion of his left ear pierced. Duo only got a simple ear piercing in his right lobe. And Dearka, yep you guessed it, Dearka had gotten his tongue pierced.

"Dearka, why on earth would you pierce your tongue?" Wufei questioned as the blonde Coordinator rubbed the ice cube on his fresh pierced tongue.

"_I know why_!" Miroku, who was preparing breakfast, shouted from the kitchen in a suggestive tone.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) I would have gotten one myself, however, the tribal tattoo on my shoulder was more than enough pain for one...lifetime. SMIRKS**

Dearka could only half-chuckle and give Wufei a knowing smirk. "Oh." Wufei sighed as he rubbed the ointment over the 'Nataku' kanji on his chest.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) Observe as I briefly slip out of character...DUUUUURRRRRRR! CLEARS THROAT Alright, I'm back.**

Yzak could only shake his head and sigh. "Wufei, why do you encourage him?"

"I know! He even said he might get a tongue ring specifically for that reason!" Inuyasha huffed as he came down the steps in his black shorts, towel drying his hair. He plopped himself in the chair across from Dearka and Yzak. He winced as he watched the two of them trying to soothe the piercing. Dearka icing the top of the tongue, and Yzak, wearing gloves as would a dentist, icing the bottom with a grimace. "Did it hurt?" Inuyasha frowned.

"Nod rearry. Hiei's quick so, I barrey felh anythih!" Dearka answered sloppily, drooling as he did so, disgusting Yzak.

"Ugh! Stop making him speak!" Yzak quickly grabbed for a towel and threw it onto Dearka's lap. "Here, wipe that BLEEP off of your chin!"

"Aw, reminds you of a mother and child, doesn't it dog breath?" Koga entered from the kitchen as he sunk his teeth into an apple observing the two on the couch.

"Thut-uh!" Dearka ground out, causing himself to drool again.

"Dammit, I said stop making him talk!" Yzak growled.

"You're wearing gloves man." Ed pointed as he entered the living area re-braiding his hair.

"I don't care, it's still disgusting!" Yzak snapped.

"Then why are you doing it?" Trowa questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"Well were you going to volunteer to help his poor ass?" Yzak gritted as he placed a new ice cube on the back of Dearka's tongue.

"You got me there." Trowa sighed with his dry sarcasm.

**Trowa: Gundam Wing (Guys) He's totally soft for that guy. CHUCKLES**

"Eh mah ton geddin nuh." Dearka forced out.

"What?" Yzak frowned, more irritated with the fact that Dearka was trying to talk than with the fact that he couldn't understand him.

"I seh, mah TON es geddin NUHN!" Dearka drooled once more.

"Ah that's it, BLEEP this!" Yzak left the ice cube in Dearka's mouth. Having been drooled on for the last time, he removed his gloves and stormed upstairs toward his room.

"Eh!" Dearka protested.

Kiba, Tsume and Hige could only laugh to themselves at the idiocy of the others' actions. They had willingly mutilated their bodies. It was by far beyond the comprehension of a wolf. "What a dumbass." Hige shook his head towards Dearka.

**Tsume: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Honestly, if he wanted to get hurt, all he had to do was ask.**

"What seems to be the problem Dearka?" Kurama, who had just walked in on the commotion, took Yzak's place beside Dearka. "Is the fresh piercing irritating you?" Kurama noted the mouth wash and ice cubes upon the coffee table.

"Yeah!" Dearka nodded fervently.

"Hiei warned you that the after-effects could be a nuissance, why did you insist on getting it done?" Kurama questioned.

"_Don't ask him that_!" Yzak shouted from his room with his usual ire.

Catching sight of Dearka's smirk, Kurama only sighed until a thought came to him. "Ah!"

"Ah? Ah what?" Inuyasha perked.

"Well, I've just concocted that solution that restored our hair to their natural colors, the protein in the plant that I used may have a remedy for Dearka's problem." Kurama caressed his chin in deep thought.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) It was really awesome how Kurama grew a plant that was able to restore our natural hair colors with it's water. I liked the black look, but with me, I just look...human! FROWNS**

"Weh hurr uh, I'm dyin' herr!" Dearka leaned back onto the couch with the rest of his roommates just casting him strange stares.

**Vash: Trigun (Guys) I got a bullet tat on my back to symbolize something about myself. But THAT I don't get! All that just to do a better job at BLEEPING BLEEP! WTF **

"I'll be back in just a moment!" Kurama chimed as he stood to his feet and trotted up the steps towards his room.

"Man, it looks a little swollen." Kuwabara observed as Dearka laid back with his eyes closed, idly rubbing the ice on his tongue.

"Hey, does it hurt when I do this?" Kuwabara took the end of his fork and gently poked at Dearka's swollen tongue.

"Ow, quit it." Dearka slurred lazily, urging a rather sadistic Kuwabara to poke his tongue again. "Ow, quit it." Though he could see the look of pure irritation etched upon the blonde Coordinator's features, Kuwabara couldn't resist. "Ow, quit it!" Dearka slapped at Kuwabara's hand, missing horribly.

"Sorry man, I couldn't help myself! Your tongue looks like a blushing Spongebob!" Kuwabara chuckled.

"Wah?" Dearka's eyes widened as he sat up to look at his reflection in the glass coffee table. "Ah BLEEP!"

"Okay, try this!" Kurama trot his way back into the living area with a syringe full of a green colored liquid.

"That was quick." Yusuke commented.

"Of course." Kurama gave Yusuke a strange look.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Has he forgotten who I am? I'm someone who can grow amphetamines without soil. Why else do you think he keeps me so close? My strikingly handsome features? SNORTS**

Just then the house's _Nokia_ cell phone rang, urging Athrun to read off the message.

"What's it say?" Kira questioned with a mouth stuffed of toast and bacon.

"_Don't be fooled, this next challenge is definitely not for the weak. Dress in your swimwear and prepare to stare..._death in the eyes? What the hell?" Athrun raised his eyebrows. "_Be ready to leave the villas at 10am sharp _what the hell do they mean stare death in the eyes?"

"Feh! No problem, I do that BLEEP everyday!" Inuyasha shrugged as he slipped his white tank over his head.

"Right." Yusuke nodded. "Technically, I did stare death in the eyes not too long ago." Yusuke mused.

"Who won?" Spike questioned rather interested in Yusuke's suddenly serious demeanor.

"Death...but only for a little bit." Yusuke answered with a wink.

"I hear ya." Spike nodded an understanding.

"Now that you mention it," Duo began, "who here has died once?" Duo questioned shaking his head in amazement once Yusuke, Android 17, and Spike raised their hands.

"Spike?" Goten questioned with raised brows.

"Yeah, something like that." Spike answered with a simple grin.

"Okay, who all has NEARLY died at some point?" Duo had to blink once he saw that including himself, Heero, Trowa, Inuyasha, Koga, Sesshomaru, Vash, Kiba, Hige, Hiei, Tsume, Miroku, Wufei, Trunks, Yzak, Athrun, Dearka, Goten, Ed, Kira, and Kurama all raised their hands. "Damn!"

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Well, seeing as we had a team full of death veterans and NEAR death veterans, there was no mistaking, this challenge was ours! HUGE DUO GRIN (A/N: You know the one...so kawaii!)**

_**Preparing to Leave in Starfish...**_

"I don't know about this." Ayame sighed as she tied up her hair. She laid out the orange and yellow bikini that Kagome had gotten for her on the bed, staring at it with uncertainty.

"You'll look fine." Kagome assured as she took out her purple one piece.

"Hey, how come you get that kind?" Ayame whined.

"Well, I've had this one for a while now, I guess I never really thought about it." Kagome nibbled on her lower lip.

"Oh don't worry Ayame," Serena placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder, "trust me, you're going to totally look hot in it!"

"But I don't wanna totally look hot in it!" Ayame pouted.

**Ayame: Inuyasha (Gals) I like being cold. Cold is better. Cold is SAFER!**

"I'll bet Koga would just love to see you in this." Kagome winked causing the female wolf demon to perk.

"Y-you think so?" Ayame raised.

"Oh definitely!" Kagome smiled.

"Right, and if he's distracted, he's losing." Sango gave Ayame a knowing stare as did the other two girls.

"Ah, I see! I can't wait to see his face!" Ayame giggled as she grabbed her swimsuit and rushed for the bathroom.

Fllay had been in the kitchen sucking down an energy drink as she paced the floors nervously, much to the annoyance of Winry and Cagalli.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) For some reason, I don't think that it was the challenge that had Fllay in such a flux.**

"Oh for the love of...will you stop pacing already!" Cagalli fumed.

"Huh?" Fllay spared the blonde a glance as if she were coming out of a trance.

"Your pacing, it's annoying." Cagalli reiterated.

"Oh...sorry." Fllay said shortly, and quickly abandoned the kitchen leaving behind two highly shocked individuals.

"Oh my...did I just hear correctly?" Cagalli's eyes widened.

"I know, did she just apologize?" Winry noted.

"I think she did." Cagalli let out a half-snort half-chuckle of disbelief.

"That can't be good." Winry rested her chin in the palm of her hand as the two blondes sat by and tried to run the events over in their minds.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) Fllay, NEVER apologizes! I pretty much take her to be the kind of chick to run over your dog with her car, get out and check to make sure no blood got on the new paint job, and if everything's cool, just take off. But she actually said the 'S' word! Food for thought guys, when bitches start apologizing, that means something is DEFINITELY going down! Something big!**

"I'm certain that they would never put us in harms way Keiko." Yukina tried to comfort a frightened Keiko. The text message had her and a few of the others worried. However, Keiko didn't seem to be taking it well at all.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I believe that Hilde explained it simply. She was freaking out.**

"They've already put us in harms way! Remember the shark? And the ridiculously spicy food? And the-"

"Keiko chill out okay!" Meryl intervened. "Everything is going to be fine. If anyone should be worried it should be me!"

**Meryl: Trigun (Gals) As it currently stood, I had the lowest score. Dorothy was right above me, if I could just beat her out in today's challenge, I could stay.**

"Oh, you're not going anywhere." Keiko stated.

"But my points-"

"Look, I'm in the inner circle, and I said that you're not going anywhere." Keiko repeated, earning a troubled stare from Yukina.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I didn't say anything to Keiko at the time, but to promise that Meryl wouldn't be going home despite her having the lowest score is unfair to not only the very next person on the score board but the entire team. They aren't just choosing favorites are they?**

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) We've been fair with our decisions all this time. If we were playing favoritism, I can tell you right now, that Dorothy and Fllay would've been gone a LONG time ago. But as you can see they're STILL here! We're not playing favorites, we're going by score! ROLLS EYES**

"Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmmmm..._ooh, spendin' all your money on me, and spendin' time on me_." Faye hummed to the tune that had been playing repeatedly in her head as she gathered up her cherry-red bikini, red shorts and thong sandals. She was in the best of moods, and only _she_ knew why.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Today was going to be a good day. Even if we lost, truly, I'd have to say it was STILL going to be the most perfect day ever! The sun was shining. Not a cloud in the sky! Perfect 90 degree weather. Oh yes, and so, SO much more! SMIRKS**

Faye started to wiggle her hips to the silent tune in her head as she slipped on her bikini bottoms and top. (A/N: She's dancing naked:-O) "_...'Cause of my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump. My hump, my hump, my hump. My lovely lady lumps, check it out!_"

_**Seventh Challenge: Sunken Ship...**_

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to your next challenge." Jonny started as the competitors stood within a large domed building. The place was illuminated with a soft water glow of blue and aqua marine from the extra large pool that lied centered before them. The smell of chlorine was in the warm atmosphere as the sun continued to create a greenhouse like effect in the dome. Most of the guys had come dressed in their swimming trunks and tanks or shirts, while most of the girls came clad only in a pair of shorts and their bikini tops or t-shirts. Botan was dressed in her white shorts and pink bikini top. She noticed Kurama smiling at her strangely, and she had no doubt that it was because of what had happened that morning.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I may be wrong, but it is rather fun to make Botan nervous. She's a rather adorably zany girl.**

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I KNEW he'd be doing that! I knew it! It never fails! That train's never late! God I could have only hoped that I wouldn't be competing head to head with him today! That would've been diabolical. BLUSHES GRR! Stop blushing! SLAPS FACE**

The competitors continued to try and study their surroundings. One thing they noticed however, was that Sachiya was not standing next to Jonny as usual, was she gone? "Today's challenge is actually going to take a lot of dedication, determination, and endurance on everyone's part today." He continued.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Man, that had to have been the biggest pool that I had ever seen! Almost like the size of a small lake or something! Oh, and you never would've guessed what was in them.**

"What we're going to do is put your true strengths to the test. Both mental and physical." Jonny explained.

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Guess that means the boys are doomed. Mental? PUH!**

"What you have before you is a twenty foot deep pool, usually used for training purposes for the Navy and Marines. However, as you can see there are two miniature ships within the pool. A member from both teams will be locked inside. And by locked inside we mean that you will be chained inside the ship's hatch by your feet." Jonny informed observing the widening eyes as he proceeded with the challenge rules. "Once you enter into the ships, I will give the signal to those gentlemen behind that glass booth to your right to submerge the ships."

"With us inside!" Bra gulped.

"Duh, Bra." Sally sighed.

"That's right. These ships take about two minutes to completely fill the hatch up with water. Now there is a key hidden somewhere inside both ships' hatch. The object is for you to search the entire hatch cabin for the key in order to free yourselves and re-surface before your opponent. Whoever surfaces first, wins that round for their team and also fifty points to their team score. You will be timed based on your speed. In other words, there is no time limit for this round, however if you finish say before two minutes there's a good chance you could win this challenge." Jonny explained. "Any questions?"

"Yes!" Blue raised her hand.

"Yes, Blue." Jonny answered.

"Umm, okay...I'm a wolf, I can't really use keys." Blue looked worried.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) No opposable thumbs people! GROWLS**

"Well, the keys are made in a special way. They're magnetized. So all you have to do in order to free yourself is hold the key up to the lock of your chains and the chain will automatically release you." Jonny explained with confidence.

**Blue: Wolfs Rain (Gals) Damn, and I was hoping to be able to gain a get out of jail free card. No pun intended.**

"Anymore questions?" Jonny pressed.

"Yes." Dorothy raised her hand, ignoring the annoyed sighs from the boys' team.

"Yes, Dorothy." Jonny replied.

"Now, the ships are going to be submerged, you said the hatch takes two minutes to completely fill with water. What if we don't find the key before then. I mean, we can only hold our breath for so long." Dorothy mentioned.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) Hmph, you know as much as I despise that girl, that was actually a good question. That whole bit about us staring death in the eyes didn't really make this challenge a walk in the park.**

"Yes, which is why their are three divers submerged for safety reasons. Sachiya, Alana, and Brad. Guys!" Jonny waved down towards Sachiya, Alana and Brad who were clad in proper diving gear. The three waved back.

"Hey Jonny!" Brad's voice sounded over the speakers.

"Hey Jonny!" Alana greeted over the speakers.

"Hey Jonny! Did I mention I didn't have my diver's license?" Sachiya nervously sounded over the speakers as she spoke into her communicator.

"Oh, you can swim, that's good enough, besides, Brad and Alana are down there with you, they know what they're doing." Jonny assured.

"What does she mean she doesn't have her diver's license?" Catherine questioned nervously.

"Nothing. Ahem! The scores! Sachiya would you do the honors?" Jonny spared the purple haired girl a glance from the top of the pool.

"Sure!" Her voice was slightly distorted over the speakers as she spoke. "Ladies...you have, a score of, 5920. Boys, your score is currently, 7740." Sachiya memorized the scores. "Also, the winner for today's challenge will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero, and the team prize." Upon the surface Jonny unveiled the team prize.

"Whoa!" Goten shouted along with the other competitors.

"Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Yusuke clapped with a few others.

"Do they see it?" Sachiya sounded over the speakers before continuing.

"Oh, yeah." Jonny chuckled.

"Okay. Umm, a 2006 _H2 Hummer_! In colors varying from black, red, silver, blue, yellow, and bronze." Sachiya explained.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Oh boy! I'm totally a car person, and I've been planning to get my paws on the _Hummer_! That's all I needed for fuel.**

"Woo! Alright! Let's win this one ladies!" Hilde encouraged her team as the rest of them cheered their motivation.

"Okay, first to compete, we have..." Jonny viewed the score board. "Heero and Cheza."

"Alright!" Heero nodded as he took off his shirt, noticing the many gasps from the girls' team.

"Oh my God Heero, when'd you get the tat?" Hilde observed the dragon kanji design on the back of his neck.

"Yesterday, Hiei gave us all tattoos." He explained flatly.

"And some piercings!" Dearka smirked as he held out his tongue to show the new piercing that rested there.

"Oh my GOD!" Miriallia gasped with the rest of her team, causing Dearka to smirk mischievously. It was then, that Hilde noticed Duo's ear piercing causing her to raise her eyebrows.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Okay, that's BEYOND being OOC! SWEAT DROP**

"Hiei?" Botan swallowed.

"Yes, me? Do you find that surprising?" Hiei questioned darkly, fiddling with the new piercing in his left earlobe.

"Well, yeah." Botan frowned.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) WTF**

"It looks good." Hilde was honest, earning a nod from Heero as he prepared for the challenge.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) Okay, I knew that Cheza had an advantage. She's a plant, so the water wouldn't affect her. So that meant I would just have to find the key before her. However, I also had an advantage because well...I'm not blind. SMIRK**

"This one will do her best." Cheza nodded towards her team as she and Heero were guided towards the ships. The shipmen led both of them inside the ships' hatches. Cheza could feel them clamping the chain around her right ankle, and she tried to focus, closing her eyes as if to get a better feel of the area.

Heero couldn't see what was going on inside of the other ship, however he too began to study the ship's interior as one of the shipmen clamped the chain to his right ankle. It was about the size of a small class room, however it had turns and curves along with being filled with boxes, crates, and other props in order to make the search that much more difficult.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I was trying to get a feel of the place. Pretty much thinking, "if I were a key inside a hatch, where would I be?" sort of thing.**

"Is everything ready?" Jonny yelled towards the shipmen, who quickly jumped off of the ships and onto the sidelines, giving Jonny the thumbs up. "Alright then, let's go!" Jonny sounded his horn, urging both Heero and Cheza to begin their search as the ships began to submerge into the pool.

"Come on Cheza!" Catherine cheered. "Oh wait, can they hear us?" She questioned Jonny.

"Yep, cheer all you want." Jonny nodded.

"Oh, good! Come on Cheza, woo!" She and the other girls continued to cheer.

"Yeah, Heero this game's ours man!" Yusuke cheered.

Inside the ships, both competitors began to basically tear the place apart in search of the key. The water was beginning to rush in, collecting at their ankles and soon after their calves.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I basically was trying to find the key as soon as possible, because I knew that once that water filled up on me, that it would slow me down, putting me at a disadvantage against Cheza.**

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) This one was not certain of Heero's progress, however, This one was not worried even though at this point the water had reached This one's waist.**

Cheza waded through the water, searching inside boxes and crates, inside what felt like coats and pants that had been left inside of the ship. She could hear her teammates cheering her on, and she pressed herself even further, as not to fail them. She re-traced her steps, re-checking places, but still no key.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) It was more difficult than This one expected. This one had searched high and low for the key. But This one remembered the saying "it's always the last place that you look," and This one had then remembered that This one had not checked the far corner of the hatch.**

The water in Heero's ship had reached his ears by now, and at this point, he had no choice but to go under water every now and then to proceed with his search. He shot back up catching his breath, noticing that his feet were no longer touching the ground as the hatch ceiling grew closer and closer. "Damn!" He gasped.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I have to admit, this challenge was well...a CHALLENGE! If they get harder as we get further in the contest, I can only imagine what they have in store for us later on. SWEAT DROP **

From the surface the ships were completely submerged, and cheering at that point had stopped. Mainly because the competitors knew that their teammates couldn't hear them, but also because they were all so absorbed in studying the still ships at the bottom of the pool. The only movement that any of them could see were that of the divers, and it made each and every one of them nervous.

"Oh BLEEP." Yzak shook his head.

"Three minutes." Jonny announced to the waiting competitors.

"Damn." Kiba sighed, idly grinding his teeth in anticipation.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) MAN this challenge was nerve-racking!**

"Come on, come on." A bead of sweat trickled down Trunks' temple as he gazed down the pool intensely.

"His energy is fading." Sesshomaru suddenly spoke as he leaned stoically against the wall in his usual garb.

"What?" Kira furrowed his eyebrows.

"I feel it." Kurama nodded, casting Hiei a knowing glance.

"Feel what? What do you feel?" Wufei frowned nervously.

"Surface him." Sesshomaru looked towards Jonny.

"The divers are keeping an eye on him, apparently he's fine." Jonny swallowed, a little nervous from the death glares that Sesshomaru was throwing his way.

"I said to surface him, now." Sesshomaru stood up from the wall and walked towards Jonny.

"Err..."

"Look!" Serena pointed towards the bottom of the pool as a hand peered through the boys' ship.

"Heero!" Duo shouted. Shortly after, they saw a paler hand peer through the girls' ship as the pink-haired Flower Maiden made her escape.

"Cheza!" Yukina called.

The two competitors raced towards the surface, Cheza gaining fiercely upon Heero's heels. The teammates could see that he was struggling to hold his last ounce of breath as he nearly reached the surface. Cheza was right next to him by now as the two of them were neck and neck towards the surface until...

"GASP!" Heero inhaled the oxygen around him as if he had been deprived of it all of his life.

"Tie!" Jonny announced as both Heero and Cheza surfaced together earning fifty points for both of their teams.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) MAN! I LOVE this GAME! WOOO! BIG GOOFY GRIN**

Heero collapsed on the side of the pool with the key in hand, panting as if he had just run a marathon.

"Heero man, are you okay?" Hige rushed to the boy's side along with Duo, Trowa, Wufei and Athrun.

"Yeah. PHEW! I thought that was it. Did he say it was a tie?" Heero panted.

"Yeah." Athrun answered.

"BLEEP!" Heero sat up, resting his elbows on his knees as he began to squeeze the excess water out of his ears.

"Sesshomaru was worried about you." Trowa half-smiled.

"Lies! I just knew that we would be at a disadvantage in the competition if one of us was to die so early." Sesshomaru denied.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) If they were not the key to me gaining what I entered this competition for in the first place, I would not care if they lived or died. SHADY SMILE**

"Okay, next!" Jonny began as the ships re-surfaced and were prepped.

"Uh-oh." Winry sighed.

"We have Trowa and Winry." Jonny announced.

"Do not be frightened Winry." Cheza encouraged. "You will do just fine."

Words of encouragement are usually just that...encouragement. They don't necessarily speak the truth, and in this case that was proven more than ever as Winry had to be rescued by Alana, one of the divers, whereas Trowa re-surfaced and gained the fifty points for his team.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I STILL have trouble breathing after that! TAKES OUT INHALER AND PUFFS**

The competition was rough, but it only got more intense once Meryl went against Ed.

"Come on Meryl." Kagome bit her nails as the two ships stayed submerged under the water.

"Two minutes." Jonny announced to the other competitors.

"Oh no." Lacus sighed.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) The whole vibe of today was just off somehow. Not only because of the competition, but Faye's spontaneous smirks were making me very uncomfortable. Especially considering her behavior when Yuki visited.**

Suddenly they saw the short-haired woman emerge from the ship, swimming towards the surface with all of her might...alone. Everything was looking just fine for the girls.

"Alright!" Bra cheered. Just behind Meryl, Ed broke free from the ship's prison, trying his hardest to close the gap between himself and Meryl.

"Come on man!" Yusuke and his teammates encouraged the blonde alchemist, unfortunately their cheers were not enough as Meryl's head was the first to spring up from the pool.

"Oh God!" Meryl gasped, just behind her surfaced Ed, gasping with the same desperation for air.

"Yeah!" Ryoko slapped five with Aeka startling the purple-haired princess as her expression sweetly went from normal to super deformed.

"Alright guys, the girls won this round, but that doesn't mean that the boys can't run away with the competition." Jonny informed.

"That's right, don't get too comfortable ladies." Yusuke arched an eyebrow.

"Whatever!" The girls waived. Unfortunately, them being cocky had gotten the best of them and once Miroku went head to head with Dorothy, the boys completely owned the competition.

"Oh BLEEP!" Hilde groaned. Athrun, with difficulty on his own part, had defeated Sango. Hiei creamed Julia with no problem. Yusuke totally killed Aeka. Kuwabara, though having nearly fainted, wiped out Kagome. Android 17 actually tied with Ryoko, while Goten basically humiliated Android 18 as he had found the key before the ships were completely submerged. Dearka had minor troubles with his triumph over Cagalli. Kiba had trouble using the key, however Botan was no competition and he ultimately won the round. Kurama had actually gotten defeated by Faye, much to his surprise, but the loss was made up from Tsume, Trunks, Spike and Sesshomaru's victory over Sally, Miriallia, Yukina, and Fllay. There were many other victories on both teams, however the final victor was truly the boys.

"Alright, Sachiya you good?" Jonny regarded Sachiya who was seemingly annoyed with Brad at the moment. The blonde haired blue-eyed diver had been eying her the entire time and well, all she could do at this moment was curse karma for it's wrath. "Sachiya!"

"YES!" Sachiya shouted causing Jonny to arch an eyebrow at her disrespect. "I mean, yes?" She replied in an overly sweet tone.

"The final scores please." Jonny pushed.

"Right!" Sachiya waved Brad's hand away from her hair, highly annoyed with the surfer-boy at the moment. He truly was handsome however in her eyes, he was just an obstacle.

"What? Lint." Brad smirked.

"Yeah right." Heaving a sigh she continued with her job. "Okay! Girls. You have a final score of 6320. And boys, you have a final score of 8590, Chibi Wolf Hero goes to Goten for surfacing in the quickest time. Boys you win." Sachiya said with little enthusiasm.

"Yeah! OO-RAH!" The boys shouted and celebrated.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I BLEEPING hate that stupid chant of theirs. It is SO retarded.**

"It looks like the inner circles have changed up a bit. Based on scores, the new inner circle for the boys is Yusuke, Inuyasha, Hiei and Sesshomaru. And for the girls, Faye, Sango, Ryoko, and Hilde." Jonny informed. "New inner circles you know what to do."

_**Outside of the Dome for eliminations...**_

Eliminations were difficult and goodbyes were even harder. The boys ended up having to let Trowa go, but once again he was saved by Goten, who had received the Chibi Wolf Hero.

"Man, you're hanging on aren't ya Trowa?" Jonny chuckled. "Ladies?"

"Yes," Hilde began, "we have decided to let Dorothy go, on account of her having the lowest score today."

"Fine." Dorothy frowned. She was just about to turn and leave until a strange yet handsome gentleman approached the group from a distance, causing her to stop in her tracks. The sun beat upon his long blonde locks as he stormed towards the competitors, fire present in his icy blue eyes.

"Where is he!" He shouted. It wasn't until he was within a few feet of the group that everyone noticed that he was not alone. Behind him was a shorter individual with bubblegum colored hair. Dark sunglasses covered their eyes, as they were clad in a fuchsia and black zebra-print shirt and fitting jeans. They appeared to be rather upset as all eyes were glued on the two strangers.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) You should've seen everyone's faces. Classic. Hmm, now who could these two strangers have been? MOCK INNOCENCE**

"Err, can we...help you?" Jonny stammered.

The blonde gentleman's eye's searched the crowd of individuals before him. His eyes then rested upon Faye's form. "Hey." He bobbed his head up towards her in a greeting motion. "I don't see him." He stated.

"Who?" Jonny questioned. "Sir, are you looking for someone?"

"How'd ya guess?" The man stated sardonically.

"Well, is there any way that I could help-"

"I've got him." Faye interrupted as she approached the man. "He's not here."

"Well where-"

"But, he will be at our villa." Faye noticed the shorter individual to his right. "Hey." She acknowledged them, and they waved shyly. "Come on with us." Faye led the two away from the challenge site as everyone went their separate ways.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) Faye seemed to know the gentlemen that had so rudely interrupted our game today. It seemed as though she was happy to see them, however they did not appear to be at all happy to see her. Something was wrong. And all I could do was wish that Yuki was there, he just made me feel better. And I was so glad that he promised to see me again that night. SIGHS AND SHAKES HEAD I was.**

_**White Shore 1513 hours**_

"You know them?" Ed questioned Spike.

"No, it's no telling who they are when it comes to Faye." Spike sighed.

"Oh!" Hiei suddenly yelped with widened eyes.

"What is it Hiei?" Kurama questioned concerned.

"Yeah man, what's up?" Yusuke, who was sitting next to Hiei, turned to face the small Fire Demon.

Hiei grabbed a hold of Yusuke's ear, whispering something into it. Suddenly, the wolves, Koga, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru all lit up, having overheard what Hiei was whispering.

"Oh, no way!" Hige gasped.

"Are you serious?" Yusuke regarded Hiei, who nodded. "Fellas. Let's move out!" Yusuke shouted eagerly as he headed for the back door.

"What is it?" Dearka queried.

"Entertainment!" Inuyasha perked as he and the rest of the boys jet out of the back door and headed for the said 'entertainment...' Starfish villa.

_**Confusing moments in Starfish...**_

"...So you know Faye, how now?" Ayame was questioning the bubblegum haired boy as the two of them sat on the couch. She thought it rather strange that he insisted on wearing his sunglasses indoors.

"Err...I don't." He answered simply.

"But _he_ does?" Ayame nodded towards the blonde man who Faye was intensely conversing with in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I don't know how though. I think they met somewhere. He didn't tell me." He answered.

"Ah." Ayame sighed. She frowned once she noticed Fllay biting her nails as she sat on the edge of the lounge across from she and the boy. "Fllay?"

"Huh?" Fllay blinked.

"Are you okay?" Ayame asked, and flinched along with Fllay once she heard the doorbell ring.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) I knew today was going to be a bad day the moment I woke up this morning. And I'll tell you why. This world is TOO DAMN SMALL!**

Yukina headed towards the door. Opening it, she caught sight of the same blonde man from the night before. "Oh hello. Yuki correct?" At the sounding of this it seemed that the bubblegum haired boy tensed up, causing Ayame to cock her head to the side like a curious puppy.

"BLEEP!" Fllay immediately stood to her feet and trotted towards the stairs, skipping steps on her way up to her room.

The blonde man in the kitchen, with whom Faye had been conversing, also perked. He leaned over the counter, his hand seeming to instinctively go to the object on his hip. This urged Faye to place a hand on his shoulder telling him to calm down.

"Is he here?" Lacus called down as she came down the steps dressed in a beautiful white silk blouse and soft pink skirt. She lit up once she laid eyes upon Yuki. He looked extra handsome in her eyes, dressed in his all white silk pants suit and shades which he removed upon seeing her. "Hello!" She chirped, not even noticing the bubblegum haired boy following her with his shaded eyes. She leaped into his arms, not even giving the man a chance to step fully into the villa.

"Hey." He responded to her greeting as the two hugged in the doorway. He saw Faye strut her way to the front door and frowned disgust upon seeing her.

"Hello Yuki, lovely to see you again. Why don't you come in and, relax for a while?" Faye slyly suggested.

"We really should be going, we have reservations." Yuki narrowed his eyes at Faye.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) Faye was definitely acting strange. And her 'friends' were acting even weirder. But once Yuki stepped through that door. All I can say is...things got REALLY interesting. SHAKES HEAD**

"No, I still have to finish my hair, so you should come in and just give me a few minutes." Lacus suggested as she basically pulled Yuki further into the villa, her loose pink tresses flowing freely behind her. She felt his hand tighten around hers once the two of them made it into the living area. She jerked slightly once she felt him stop suddenly. "Yuki?"

The blonde man was frozen in place as his eyes rested upon the bubblegum haired boy who sat next to Ayame on the couch. He heard the door shut behind him and felt Faye come around beside him and finally take a seat in the chair adjacent to Ayame and the boy.

"Yuki, is something wrong?" Lacus questioned warily.

"Yes, _Yuki_, is something..._wrong_?" Faye mockingly reiterated.

"You...bitch." Yuki whispered darkly.

"Excuse me?" Lacus questioned shockingly.

"No. Not you." Yuki stated flatly. It was then that the bubblegum haired boy stood up and made his way towards Lacus and Yuki. He spared Lacus a long glance, looking her up and down, making the pink-haired Coordinator rather uncomfortable.

"Is, there something wrong..." Lacus trailed, having not learned the boy's name yet.

"Shuichi." He answered her unasked question.

"Shuichi?" She finished.

"Yuki can we talk...please." Shuichi questioned softly. Lacus was certain that she saw a tear slip down his cheek behind his shades.

Lacus darted her head between the two males repeatedly. "You two, know one another?" Lacus questioned.

"Yes, they do." The blonde man answered gruffly as he came up next to Shuichi.

Lacus placed her hands on her chest in worry. "Well my, is there something wrong?"

"Yes, there is." The blonde answered, glaring into Yuki's direction. "Yuki, outside. Now." The man ordered.

"I don't have to do what you say." Yuki frowned.

"Guys please, not now." Shuichi begged as he placed a gentle hand on Yuki's upper arm and guided him towards the front door leaving the blonde and Lacus behind inside the villa.

The rest of the girls had been staking out in their favorite location at the top of the steps listening in on the events that occurred below.

"Something is definitely up." Sally whispered to Catherine.

"Oh, you have NO idea." Kagome sighed sparing Serena, Cagalli, and Sango knowing looks.

Serena could only shake her head, while Sango shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, nervously anticipating what she knew was coming next. Cagalli on the other hand appeared as if she were ready to kill someone.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Oh GOD! Why the drama? It's too much! We're losing this contest, the last thing we need is a live soap opera in our own home!**

"Excuse me, umm..." Lacus regarded the blonde man beside her.

"Just call me K." He stated.

"Fine, Mr. K. Would you mind telling me what exactly is going on here?" Lacus questioned innocently.

K could tell that the young girl had absolutely no idea of what she had gotten herself into. He suddenly felt sorry for her, and honestly wanted to fill Yuki's ass up with some serious lead at that point, but shunned the thought away as he knew it would hurt Shuichi. "The two of them...have something important to discuss." K told the half-truth, being careful not to spill the beans on the situation that Lacus had blindly gotten herself into.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) I'm no fool. That K gentleman was holding something back from me, and I was not about to be kept in the dark.**

"There is something else that you're not telling me." Lacus narrowed her eyes.

K sighed, sparing Faye a glance as she sat in the chair with a cocked eye. "Umm..." He looked around the villa and noted the presence of three other females. Suddenly he heard Shuichi outside yelling something along the lines of 'how could you,' and he immediately headed for the door. "Sorry!" He then left Lacus to stand, highly confused, in the living area.

"What?" Lacus frowned. K had slammed the door behind him, and Lacus couldn't help but follow, causing Faye to hop to her feet to stop the girl.

"Wait! Lacus, maybe you shouldn't." Faye held onto the other's arm.

"Unhand me!" Lacus was getting frustrated as she twisted out of Faye's grip and continued for the door. Something didn't feel right. Her female intuition was running on maximum overdrive. Something was going on. Something...disturbing. She opened the front door just in time to hear Shuichi cry out...

"...You know how much I love you! And after everything we've shared! How could you do this to me? You lied and told me you were coming to the states for an international book tour! Instead, you're here picking up floozies!" Tears ran down Shuichi's cheeks as K held onto his shoulders in order to calm the boy down.

Lacus could barely breathe as her mind began to try and register what her ears had just heard. She placed her hand on her chest as a sudden pain arose within. It wasn't until then that the three males noticed their audience.

Faye ran up behind the girl then, placing her hands on her shoulders. Suddenly she felt guilty for what she had done. But she knew that something had to happen. One way or another, Yuki and Lacus' relationship had to be stopped before it got too deep.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I've known K for a while now, we talk over the phone every now and then and he tells me how things are going in Japan with his job in the music industry. He slipped up one time and told me that my ex, i.e Yuki, was seeing his latest artist. I know how protective K is, and I knew he'd be pissed if he found out that the kid was being two-timed. Sure nuff, one simple phone call had the two of them on a plane headed for Daytona Beach Florida within the next hour. Lacus didn't take it too well though. LOOKS GUILTY**

"What?" Lacus furrowed her eyebrows.

"Lacus." Yuki couldn't say a word.

"Is he..." Lacus pointed toward Shuichi earning a nod from Yuki. "So you're a..."

"Pretty much." He nodded.

"And the two of you have..."

"Numerous times." Yuki answered blandly.

Upon the girls' roof, the boys played spy and listened in on the conversation below. They were in tears from silently laughing to themselves with every word that the individuals spoke.

"Oh my." Kurama placed a hand over his mouth as his heart reached out to the pink-haired girl. He was the only one of them that saw no humor in the current situation. The rest of his team however...

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) My team is so insensitive. I can't believe that they were actually laughing at Lacus' misfortune like that. It's simply awful the way they act.**

"Oh, oh, oh sh...oh God. BLEEP!" Duo couldn't catch his breath, he was laughing so hard.

Hiei and Yusuke were doubled over with their faces in their arms, their shaking bodies indicating how harshly they were cracking up. "Thank God we got a telepath on our team! I would've hated to miss this!" Yusuke stated quietly between laughs.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Upon the strangers' arrival, I heard the smaller one think this: "if Yuki is cheating on me I swear..." So naturally, I had to see and share. I'm not nosey, honestly I could care less what humans do. However, this particular situation was just...overly hilarious not to witness for ones self. It further provokes my standing on the foolishness of humans. Truly how could Lacus NOT have known? I mean look at him. The man is practically a centerfold for the modern-day homosexual. WTF**

Wufei, Yzak and Dearka were on their backs holding their stomachs as tears trailed down their cheeks from their silent laughter.

"Man, oh man!" Dearka laughed out, as he draped his arm over his eyes to shield them from the blazing hot, afternoon sun.

"Oh my God, tell me this guy is joking!" Ed began to hiccup as he and Vash could barely speak.

"Human's really are dumbasses!" Hige quickly changed species as he began to sound like a hyena.

It was then that they heard Shuichi speak once more in a small voice.

"Listen, Lacus is it? I'm sorry, but Yuki and I have been together for quite a while. I don't know what he said to you, but it was all lies. He lied to you and he lied to me! He obviously doesn't care how you or I feel about him!" Shuichi sniffed.

"Shuichi, don't start." Yuki sighed, a little annoyed with everything.

"You sure do have a lot of nerve!" K growled.

"Stay out of it." Yuki glared causing K to see red.

"Oh that's it!" K immediately drew his hand-gun aiming straight for Yuki, causing the individuals around him to become quite nervous.

"K no!" Shuichi tried to stop him but the blonde man only pushed him away.

Lacus could do nothing but stare in shock as the events unfolded before her eyes. She could feel her mouth getting dry from the wind that passed through her gaping hole, being that her chin at this point was nearly on the ground.

"K get a hold of yourself!" Faye grabbed for K's pistol arm trying to divert his aim away from Yuki, who seemed highly unfazed by the threat on his life.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) When that guy drew that gun on what's his name...Lacus' "guy," that's when I was like okay this is just crazy! Where the BLEEP were the producers! Hello! Strange guy with a gun on set! Take some BLEEPING action you cowards! RANDOM SHOE GETS THROWN AT DEARKA'S HEAD KNOCKING HIM ONTO THE FLOOR**

**Random Producer: How's that for action? Dip-BLEEP!**

"What in Nigenkai is going on out here?" Yukina ran outside upon hearing the commotion. As soon as she saw the gun in K's hand, she immediately took action and stood on the other side of the hot-tempered blonde as she, Shuichi and Faye tried to hold him back. "Stop this nonsense at once!"

"Yukina, get him out of here!" Faye panted as she struggled to hold the much taller man steady.

"What the hell do you mean 'get me out of here?' I have every right to be here dammit!" K angrily protested as he twisted and turned in order to get out of the others' grasp.

"Not when you're homicidal you don't!" Faye pressed, as she was now reduced to holding onto K's left leg.

"Oh I'll show you homicidal!" K growled as everyone struggled to calm him down.

"STOOOOOP!" Shuichi screamed, causing all activities to come to a halt. "Please stop this!" He turned to Yuki then.

"Now, I love you, and you know it! But I guess ya don't care, huh?" Shuichi cried out through tears.

"Oh my GOD, are you SERIOUS?" Android 17 forced out between laughter as he and his team continued to listen in on the rooftop quietly. He was caught between shock and hysterical amusement.

"It's like watching _Jerry Springer _live!" Trunks chuckled as he and Goten began to silently do the _Jerry chant_, holding their aching sides continuing to spy on the activities below.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph. This is so brutal." Kira couldn't stop shaking his head in disbelief.

"You think she'll kick his ass?" Spike let out a snort.

"I would!" Athrun shook his head with a half-chuckle.

"Damn...where's a...HAHA...camera when you need it?" Spike was crying tears as he hunched over, resting his forehead on the rooftop as he continued his painful laughter.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) I wanted to feel sorry for Lacus, and you know what, a large part of me did, but the rest of me couldn't help but think STARTS TO CRACK UP AGAIN how funny that was! CONTINUES TO CRACK UP When the guy pulled out his gun! And that other guy started crying like a bitch! HAHAHA And then Lacus...oh my GOD! STARTS PANTING I mean, call me cruel, but her face! The look on her face was completely priceless! SIGHS Oh that guy is wrong! He is SO going to hell! On a scholarship! Then again, I probably am too for laughing at this BLEEP! HAHAHA**

Lacus had suddenly turned pale, as her bottom lip began to quiver. So many emotions were running throughout her system, that she couldn't get a handle on them. She was frozen in shock.

"Lacus, are you okay?" Yukina observed the disturbingly silent pink-haired Coordinator.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) She did not look at all well. Her skin had turned paler than Yzak's, and her eyes were glazed over. I was worried about her, I mean REALLY worried. I'm STILL really worried about her.**

"What..." Lacus furrowed her brows and shook her head as if her mind couldn't register what exactly was happening. "What..." She appeared as if someone had just fed her vomit. "What...the hell?" She turned on her heels then and made her way slowly back inside of the villa. Her expression never changing as she padded towards the stairs.

"Well, I hope you're satisfied." Yuki glared at Faye.

"Not, hardly." Faye clenched her jaw as she folded her arms. "You're going to explain yourself to her."

"Oh he's gonna explain something, dammit!" K added as he put a hand over his trusty gun once again.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) When we saw Lacus walk back inside, we knew that she knew, and that's when I just wanted to take Yuki and show him the true meaning of pain! The jerk!**

"Lacus?" Ayame saw Lacus making her way slowly into the villa, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh no, Lacus, what's wrong?" Ayame came up beside Lacus placing her hands on the girl's shoulders with deep concern.

"I'm a fool." Lacus sobbed into Ayame's chest, who hugged her back warmly.

"Oh no sweetie, don't say that. Come here, sit down." Ayame led Lacus towards the couch.

"Where is he?" Cagalli ran down the steps then, followed by Sango, Kagome, Serena, and Ryoko. "Where is he dammit! Tell me where he is so that I can kick every sorry inch of his lying, ass!" She growled.

Just then, Faye re-entered the villa followed by Yukina, K, Shuichi and Yuki. Shuichi caught sight of a sobbing Lacus on the couch, and his big heart wouldn't allow himself to hate her. He could see her kindness, and how sweet she truly was. However, he would've been lying to himself if he said that he wasn't hurt and severely pissed off.

"Okay, we're settling this, right now." Faye announced as she and the others made their way into the living area. She noticed the other girls coming down the steps. "Alone." She enforced.

"Hell no! He's overdue for an ass whoopin!'" Cagalli pointed towards Yuki, rolling up her sleeves as she did.

"As much as I agree with you, this is really something that the two...err, _three_ of them need to work out on their own." Faye stated.

"Oh no!" Lacus suddenly cried out. "Please, allow me to sum it up for all of us!" She stood up then, extending her arms out in sheer hysteria. "You're gay," she pointed to Yuki, "he's gay," she pointed to Shuichi, "you're together, you're in love, there's no place for me, I was just meant to be a fling! It's obvious that what we had meant nothing to you, and if you ask me, you and Shuichi obviously have some personal issues that you need to work out! Now, I would appreciate it if all three of you would leave now!" Lacus sobbed as she pointed towards the door.

"But-" Yuki began.

"GET OUT!" She screamed causing everyone in the villa, including the nosey males on their roof, to jump.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) I've never known Lacus to scream. I never knew she COULD scream like that. She was so torn up. I felt so bad for her.**

Yuki nodded then. He spared Shuichi a glance and one last glare into Faye's direction before speaking. "Fine, if that's how you want it."

"Yes, that's how I want it!" Lacus said through her tears.

Yuki then turned on his heels and stormed for the door. Shuichi's eyes fell upon Lacus, and he really could've slapped Yuki for putting the two of them through such pain. He truly empathized with her. "I'm...I'm so sorry." He told her sincerely as he stood before her. "I-"

"Please, just...leave." Lacus held up her hands as if to say 'don't come anywhere near me.' Shuichi didn't fight her, instead he obeyed her wishes and followed Yuki's path out of the villa. She then swirled around and ran for the stairs. Finally making it to her room she slammed the door shut. She wouldn't be coming out for a long while.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) And now observe as _I_ briefly slip out of character...MEN SUCK! SNIFFS Thank you for your time. GLARES AT CAMERA**

Everyone had to recover from the confusion that had just occurred not moments before. Ayame plopped back down onto the couch with a sigh, followed by Yukina and Serena.

"That was TOTALLY, insane." Serena sighed.

"Indeed. I've never seen such..." Yukina trailed.

"Drama?" Sango finished as she made her way towards the girls and took a seat on the floor.

"Hmm." Yukina nodded. Truly this was all beyond her understanding, and yet she couldn't help but feel sorry for Lacus.

"Poor Lacus, though." Ayame sighed.

"I was just thinking that. What are we going to do?" Yukina sympathized.

"We should probably leave her alone for a while." Serena suggested. "I know that if I went through what she's going through with Darien, I would die." Serena shook her head.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) That really made me want to see Darien again, after seeing what Lacus was going through. I guess you could say I came to value our relationship more, because I just know that he would never cheat on me, especially not with a guy. UNCOMFORTABLE PAUSE I'm completely, 100 percent, positive. AWKWARD SILENCE Right. SNIFFS I should...probably call him. RUNS OFF CAMERA LEAVING BEHIND A DUST CLOUD**

"K, I'm sorry about all of this really, but I had to put his cocky ass in it's place." Faye pat K on his back.

"Oh please, I've been wanting to do it myself for the longest. You're my BLEEPING hero." He half-chuckled. "Hey, I gotta go after that kid before he does something stupid." K stated as he spared the door a glance.

"Right." She gave K a hug and he turned and left the villa.

"Faye, what did you do?" Kagome questioned with wide eyes as she and Cagalli approached the woman from the base of the steps.

"What had to be done. Lacus is probably gonna hate me forever, but either way she was gonna get hurt so..." Faye shrugged.

"You better believe she's gonna be angry with you." Cagalli arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, because let's face it Faye, you pretty much did stick your nose into her business." Kagome stated honestly.

"I did not stick my nose in her business!" Faye snorted.

"Yeah you did." Cagalli added.

Faye was needless to say appalled by the insinuation. Her, a dabbler? Impossible. She spared the other girls a look and they all nodded their agreement. She had in fact stepped into forbidden territory. "Oh please, believe me, once he BLEEPED her and left her high and dry, she would be feeling ten times worse!"

"But how do you know that he would've done such a thing?" Yukina questioned.

"Because that's what he does. You see he was cheating on his boyfriend! What more proof do you need? He's an ass BLEEP!" Faye gritted. "I was protecting her alright!"

"But let's be truthful here, I mean...Lacus is, believe it or not, a big girl. Do you really think she needed your protecting?" Kagome added.

"Of course she did! Either way she would've gotten hurt!" Faye raised.

"So, do you think that she'll feel better now, knowing that that said pain was indirectly caused by you?" Kagome pointed.

"Oh come on!" Faye huffed.

"I'm serious, Faye. Face it, your interfering was wrong. And what? You did it just to get back at Yuki?" Kagome frowned.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Faye wasn't thinking about Lacus at all in this. She was on her own personal vendetta against Yuki. And her goal was to hurt him and she didn't care who else got hurt in the process! And that's totally selfish. I didn't approve of Lacus and Yuki being together either. But I feel that she should've minded her own damn business and let the two of them deal with their situation. ALONE!**

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) Faye started a lot of confusion, I'll admit. There were other, MORE SUBTLE, ways to have ended Lacus and Yuki. Trust me, I know. I had a scroll's worth list of 'em!**

"You guys are totally ridiculous! I helped Lacus out! She may be hurting now, but believe me, it's nothing compared to the pain that she would've gone through had she continued seeing that BLEEPING jerk!" Faye stated vehemently. She stormed towards the stairs to head for her room. She had it drilled in her mind that her actions were civil and right. Yet in her heart, she truly did feel something different.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) ...**

**Maybe I should sleep with one eye open tonight. SWEAT DROPS**

_**I'm just a girl who kissed a boy who's in love with someone else. I didn't mean to feel the way I do, it just happened by itself...**_

Lacus sat alone in her room with the curtains drawn to keep out any light that wanted to invade her darkness. She curled up on her side in her bed, tear stains upon her cheeks as she fiddled with the ends of her hair. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to scream. She wanted...to hit something; preferably something capable of bleeding. But instead she just laid there, unable to sleep, but only lie awake. She glanced at her clock which read 3:48pm. She sighed, full of emotions ranging from sadness and anger. And at this point all she could do was wish for the night to come.

_**...And now I'm sick inside, yeah it makes me wanna cry. I'm so sorry about last night, yeah it happened so fast. I wanted it to last, in the moment it felt so right, but now I'm sick inside.**_

_**To be continued**_

xXx

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A/N: Well, that was a doozy! And long! Damn, it was long! Oh my GOD it's 35 pages! If you've actually made it here, then good for you! Now do you see why it took me so long to update? All of this got deleted! Guys, I nearly lost my mind! GRRR! But now it's good and re-typed. I read it over, it seems pretty similar to the original that got deleted. Please guys actually, I'd like to know what you think because I'm a little worried that it's crappy. Well anyways, the next chapter will be up next Saturday (I'm updating on Saturdays now), and future wise, the drama, is never-ending. As a matter of fact, consider this chapter, the preamble for the drama that is to ensue in later chapters with the other characters. I'm so sadistic, I'm laughing at these characters' misfortunes! BLAH! I need help! See you next time in chapter 12 for some "Strip Jeopardy!" Ooh, la-la! 


	12. Strip Jeopardy!

A/N: Well hello again my lovely readers! And what do ya know, I hit 100! I actually said to myself, from the start of this fic (and the other one) that if it got 100 reviews, I'd create a website for it. Mind, you I wasn't expecting to get 100 on either of them (especially not this one :-P). I pretty much started this fic blindly when I was in a silly mood. I found that the more I added to it, the sillier my mood got, and surprisingly, the more you guys enjoyed and reviewed so thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, so, so much! Well I guess that means I have to get started on the website, huh? Well if that's the case, I'll be posting the uncut versions of my stories on the site and not aff. Let's see what to put on it, hmm. I wanted to create a wallpaper of sorts for this story with all of the anime characters, so that's a start. I dunno, I'm rambling...BLAH! Well, on with the show, and I hope you enjoy because today the contestants are gonna make like Tommy Lee and _get, get NAKED!_ (Uh-oh!)

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter for disclaimers n' such.

**Song Disclaimer: **"Crush" lyrics ownership of Jennifer Paige.

**Warning: **Some adult content...wait, that's all this fic is...adult friggin' content! Oh yeah and again with the lengthyness!

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 12: Strip Jeopardy!**

_**White Shore 0805 hours...**_

The sunlight peered in through the slits of the blinds in the boys' villa filling up the living area with a soft warm glow of cream and gold. The cry of the gulls minced with the ambience of the tide that beat against the shore created a rather tranquil setting, especially considering the fact that many of the boys had yet to awaken. They had worn themselves out the previous night, having entertained themselves with indoor games and jokes. Most of the jokes' subject matter had to do with a certain pink-haired girl's recent hardships, much to the annoyance of Kurama.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I was glad that most of my other comrades had decided to sleep late, considering how utterly insensitive this contest is making them. For them to laugh at poor Lacus like that is beyond immoral on so many levels.**

_**The previous night...**_

_The entire villa was filled up with heavy baritone laughter and snorts as the boys sprawled out on the floor and living couches. Spike and Vash retreated at the bar and nearly choked on their Tequila shots once Yusuke told his next joke._

_"Hey guys check this!" Yusuke began with a goofy grin. "Kuwabara come here for a second!" Yusuke chuckled._

_"What?" Kuwabara laughed as he stood to his feet._

_"Just come here! Stand right here in front of me!" Yusuke eagerly instructed the orange-haired boy._

_"Okay, what now?" Kuwabara shrugged, looking towards his still-sitting teammates for some sort of support._

_"Remember?" Yusuke started. _

_"Oh yeah!" Kuwabara brightened as he sat on the edge of the hassock, the palms of his hands resting stiffly on his knees as his demeanor went from super-masculine to super-feminine._

_"Ahem. I'm here with Miss Lacus Clyne..." Yusuke began as the rest of the guys sighed in eager anticipation, knowing that what was soon to follow would be simply hilarious. "And today, she's going to find out a secret from her barely known boyfriend. Miss Clyne, how do you feel?"_

_"Why Jerry, I'm completely and utterly clueless as to what my beloved has to share with me today." Kuwabara responded in mock falcetto, breaking his wrist in an overly feminine fashion as he spoke with hand gestures._

_"Well let's bring him out shall we, Yuki?" Yusuke pointed towards the bathroom door and out strut Dearka dressed in drag, as he switched his hips to sit next to Kuwabara, who had a dumbfounded look on his face. Dearka did a rather girly swirl and sat down on the edge of the hassock crossing his legs and bobbing his foot up and down. The other boys could barely breathe as they laughed at the display._

_"Oh my beloved Yuki, what is it that you have to tell me?" Kuwabara questioned in his falcetto sounding rather dizty as he crossed his eyes to further emphasize the supposed 'stupidty' of his character. The other boys at this point were red as beets as they continued to laugh tears._

_"Well...Lacus...dear...I've been hiding something from you." Dearka said in an overly emotional tone as he mockingly batted his eyes into Kuwabara's direction._

_"Oh my! Whatever could it be?" Kuwabara turned towards their 'audience,' and in an over exaggerated representation of shock, placed his hands on his cheeks, opening his mouth in an 'O' fashion._

_"Well...'dear'...I'm...a homosexual! Oh!" Dearka placed the back of his hand on his forehead and mock fainted onto the ground, and the 'crowd' went wild._

_"Oh no! How could this be? My life is over! Oh!" Kuwabara was the next to faint in a rather satirical version of females in early 30's romance movies. The entire villa literally fell out, including Dearka and Kuwabara who remained on the floor as their stomachs began to ache from the pressure._

_"You're all a bunch of bigots!" Kurama interrupted from the top of the steps, causing the room to calm down._

_"No we're not!" Yusuke sniffed. "Honestly, we feel sorry for Lacus. Right guys?" Yusuke regarded his other teammates._

_"Yeah!" They all responded in unison._

_"As a matter of fact, we all made a card for her, and signed it! See!" Yusuke held up the said card and Kurama couldn't help but frown._

_"Why does it have a rainbow flag on the front?" Kurama questioned flatly._

_"Well...apparently..." Yusuke began to crack up again. "That's the type of BLEEP she's into!" The entire villa burst out laughing once more causing Kurama to turn on his heels and head for his room slamming the door upon entrance._

_**Back to the present day...**_

"Completely immature, those loud-mouthed barbarians!" Kurama growled as the previous day ran through his mind.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I'm very worried about Lacus. And I'm sure that male company is the last thing that she would like to put up with at the moment, but I feel compelled to do something. I just don't know what exactly I could do for her. Competition aside, a woman's heart is a delicate gem. And as such it must be treated with care. If you live by this principal, I guarantee...your relationships with women will forever prosper. KNOWING SMILE**

"How long have you been up fox?" Hiei yawned as he entered into the living area in his pajama bottoms, rubbing his eyes.

"A while now." Kurama responded shortly as he took a seat on the couch, sipping some tea and reading the newspaper.

Hiei just narrowed his eyes into Kurama's direction, a little taken aback by the red-head being so curt with him.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Kurama had been acting slightly cold towards the rest of us ever since yesterday. I know why, and truthfully...I couldn't care less.**

Hiei simply shrugged as he perched himself on a stool by the bar, leaning over the counter lazily as he stared at the strayed peanut crumbs and water marks on its surface.

"What's up man?" Ed entered from the kitchen with a bowl of cereal. _Lucky Charms_ to be exact.

"What makes you ask?" Hiei questioned blandly.

"Well, you look as if someone just told you to go BLEEP yourself." Ed stated simply as he leaned on the otherside of the bar counter and continued to eat his cereal.

"Hn. He might as well have." Hiei huffed.

"He? He who?" Ed furrowed his brow.

"Kurama." Hiei bobbed his head back into the red-head's direction, who was continuing to sip his tea and read the paper in the living area silently to himself.

"Why, what'd you do?" Ed questioned with a stuffed mouth.

"What makes you think it was _I_ who did something?" Hiei glared.

"Whoa easy! I just mean, what would make him get an attitude with you?" Ed looked a little confused.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Kurama doesn't seem like the type to cop an attitude for no reason. Especially with Hiei, the two seem to be cool with each other, so it's anyone's guess what his problem is.**

"Who cares?" Hiei basically gritted as he hopped down from the barstool to head towards the steps. Just then the doorbell rang, prompting Hiei to go and answer it. With an exasperated sigh, he unlocked door and opened it to find Pan standing before him in black shorts a red tank and sandals with a slightly annoyed expression plastered on her face. "What?"

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Ugh! Of all of the girls that could've gone, I had to be the only NON-lazy one! Damn I hate my team!**

"Here." Pan coldly held out a blue slip of paper.

"What is that?" Hiei glanced at the paper sourly.

"It's your laundry ticket. You know, for more fresh bedsheets and towels. It got delivered to the wrong villa." Pan sighed.

"Laundry ticket?" Hiei repeated.

"Yeah, did I stutter? Your laundry ticket!" Pan growled.

"_Yeah Hiei, remember when Yzak spilled juice on my bed!_" Dearka reminded.

"Oh." Hiei took the ticket from the small raven-haired girl, who rolled her eyes, and releasing one more sigh, turned to leave.

"Genius." Pan sighed.

Hiei shut the door and walked back towards the bar counter and placed the ticket under the candy dish.

"Man, that chick has got it bad." Dearka chuckled as he sipped his orange juice.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei questioned lowly.

"Ah, how can I put this?" Dearka scratched his chin as he ventured toward the small Fire Demon. "Hmm, well, I'll just say this. Sachiya isn't the one that you should be worried about, Pan is." Dearka smirked.

"Hn! That's ridiculous! I hate that idiot girl and she hates me!" Hiei scoffed.

"Yeah, hates to love ya!" Yusuke added as he made his way down the steps.

"Yusuke, how long have you been awake?" Hiei interrogated.

"Long enough to see that obvious love-struck expression that's written all over little Panny's face." Yusuke teased.

"Hn." Hiei frowned.

"Believe me, she's smitten, I know when my niece has a crush! And I especially know how she can get, when she doesn't wanna have one!" Goten chuckled from the top of the stairs.

"Scary." Trunks shook his head.

"VERY scary!" Goten agreed.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Those fools have no idea what they are talking about. And even if they do, I can guarantee that I will NOT be receptive to her pathetic advances. CLEARS THROAT AND SNIFFS Stupid girl!**

_**...It's just, a little crush, not like I faint everytime we touch. It's just, some little thing, not like everything I do depends on you.**_

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

"Yes...oh you have no idea the drama that's been going on here!" Serena curled up in the den and conversed with her boyfriend, Darien on the house phone.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) I really miss Darien! And after everything that's been going on around here, it just makes me wish that he was with me you know. AWKWARD PAUSE You know...because I miss him. ANOTHER AWKWARD PAUSE Okay so I wanna keep tabs on him! I'm not being paranoid! I'm just you know...being cautious! I trust him entirely but, we did kinda leave on bad terms. Long boring story but, you know how that is. SIGHS**

"Yeah...so everything's okay back at home...I know it's probably late there now." Serena continued with her conversation.

"_Yeah, it's almost nighttime. But hey, all that stuff you're worried about, forget it, I know you, you'll get through it. So don't worry about what's going on at home and just focus on winning okay?_" Darien encouraged over the phone.

"Okay. I love you." Serena hummed.

"_I love you too._" Darien hummed back over the phone.

_**Tokyo Japan 8:33pm**_

Darien reached over towards the nightstand beside his bed to place the phone back on its receiver. Rolling over on his side he felt the soft hand roam up his bare chest causing him to sigh in delight.

"Is everything ok?" The girl questioned.

"Yeah." He smirked as he rolled over onto her, the girl releasing a rather girlish giggle as the two began to play.

_**Daytona Beach, FL U.S.A- Starfish Villa...**_

Serena released a sigh of relief as she uncurled herself from the plush chair she rested in to head for the kitchen. Just then a cheery jingle sounded from the bar counter drawing her attention into that direction. "Is that the cell phone?" She questioned.

"Well it's _a_ cell phone, but not the one for the house." Faye answered as she went over towards the bar.

"Who's cell is this?" Hilde noticed the pink customized cell phone that continued to sing on the bar counter.

"Ooh, it's Lacus' cell!" Cagalli observed as she retrieved the device and trot her way up the stairs to knock on the girl's door. "Lacus!" Cagalli knocked as the phone continued to sing the rendition of a pop song. "Lacus, your phone is ringing."

"I'm sure she realizes that by now, Cagalli." Fllay sighed causing the blonde to frown.

"Come on Lacus, it could be important! What if it's Murrue wanting to see how you're doing? Or Andy even?" Cagalli tried to get the other girl to open the door.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) Lacus had spent the entire rest of yesterday locked in her room. I ended up having to sleep on the couch. I wasn't mad at her. I was more pissed with the person who caused her to act this way. A certain blonde, lying bastard who shall remain nameless at this time!**

The phone had finally stopped ringing just as Lacus opened the door. She had a horrible case of bed hair and her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying all night. She spared Cagalli a short glance and then the pink object that the other girl held in her hand. Her haro floated from behind resting ontop of her head as it spoke to the 'visitor' in random sprouts of broken english.

"Bad day! Bad day! Boys suck! How are you?" Mr. Pink chirped causing Cagalli to just sigh and shake her head.

Lacus grabbed her cell phone from Cagalli and spared the message window a glance. Checking her caller id, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at seeing the number. She then went back into her room, shutting the door as she proceeded to return the call. The phone rang for a while before someone finally answered, causing Lacus' eyes to widen.

"Ooh, surprise! Surprise! Call back later!" Mr. Pink sang.

Outside of Lacus' door, Cagalli and Fllay were making their way back down stairs meeting up with Botan at the base of the steps.

"I can't believe that Lacus has been in there all night." Botan shook her head.

"Can you blame her?" Fllay began in a bitter tone. "Yuki broke her heart...the bastard!" Fllay growled causing the rest of the girls to just shake their heads.

It was then that the house's _Nokia_ cell phone rang, bringing Keiko to answer it. "Hey guys, listen to this." She began to read off the message. "_Get ready to bare it all in this contest of speed and brains. Be prepared to leave the villas at 10am sharp. You'll need nothing but intelligence for this challenge._" Keiko just shook her head.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) The message didn't sound like the challenge was going to be hard. Which was a big relief considering yesterday's challenge.**

"So I guess that means we're what...solving puzzles or something?" Kagome questioned.

"Sounds like." Bra sighed.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I sure hope not! I hate puzzles. Mostly because I suck at solving them! I consider Hell for me would be an eternity spent watching _Wheel of Fortune_!**

"Well girls, I guess that we will have to put on our thinking caps today!" Botan perked, earning nods from the rest of the girls who scattered and began to prepare to leave for the challenge.

_**Eighth Challenge: Strip Jeopardy!**_

"What's up guys!" Jonny greeted as he stood centered between two rows of game show-like podiums.

"Hey!" The contestants greeted back.

Beside him stood Sachiya winking and waving into Hiei's direction, causing the Fire Demon to sigh in irritation. Pan saw the action from where she was standing and all she could do was sigh in exasperation. "Ugh, does she ever give up?" Pan pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why are you so bugged by it?" Bra cocked an eye.

"Because, it's annoying! What moron would have the hots for that bite-sized creep?" Pan growled causing Bra to just arch an eyebrow.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Ohhh no. I knew this would happen! Pan...she's such a dumbass sometimes! CHUCKLES**

"Well guys, today we're going to challenge your mental abilities!" Jonny began. The game show podiums were placed outdoors near a park in a shaded area. Centered before them was a large board, covered by a curtain. They were all curious as to what they would be doing that day. What challenges lied ahead. "As you can see there are game show podiums before you. You will all be competing together in a game of _Jeopardy_! DJ cue the music!" Jonny announced as the said DJ, who just so happened to be Brad the diver from the previous day's challenge, cued the _Jeopardy_ theme and a bunch of strobe lights illuminated the area as Jonny leaned against his own podium.

"Oh wow! That sounds cool!" Meryl chimed.

"Hm, I love that game!" Catherine added.

"Ah, but you see the rules for our version are a little different." Jonny smirked.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) Uh-oh...smirking host, not good. SHAKES HEAD**

"Well in OUR version of _Jeopardy_, you won't just be playing for points. You're playing...for clothes." Jonny smiled, inwardly chuckling at the many blank stares that got cast his way by the competitors.

"Wait, you mean..." Yusuke trailed.

"That's right, ladies and gentlemen welcome to your next challenge..._Strip Jeopardy_!" Jonny grinned.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) What the BLEEP!**

"The winner today, with the most points will receive the following." Jonny nodded towards Sachiya to read off the team prize.

"Yes, Jonny. Today's winner will recieve of course the Chibi Wolf Hero...aww so cute!" Sachiya cuddled the little snow white Kiba plushy to her face.

"Stop it." Kiba growled, sounding much like a wolf which was strange considering that he appeared human at the time.

"Oh hush! Okay, the Chibi Wolf Hero, and this team prize!" Sachiya unveiled a table full of tickets. "Tickets to a month-long fully paid tour of Europe! Places include, Italy, France, Germany, and the UK! Oh and by the way, boys you have a starting score of 8590. Girls you have a starting score of 6320. Gotta kick it up ladies!" Sachiya announced to which everyone pretty much savored.

**Aeka: Tenchi Muyo/Universe (Gals) The team prize was beautiful. I could see myself on a lovely vacation with my dearest Tenchi! RYOKO STORMS IN **

**Ryoko: Dream on princess! You know that Tenchi would want to go with me over you anyday!**

**Aeka: Oh stop it, he'd have to attend with the both of us being that we would both have the tickets! INSERT 'LIGHTENING-EYES' STARING CONTEST HERE**

"Wait a minute, I don't get it, you said we'll be playing for clothes?" Keiko frowned.

"Yes, if you answer a question right, you gain points for yourself and your team. However, if you answer wrong, you lose points for yourself and your team, and...not to mention, an article of clothing. If you end up fully naked, you forfeit your points from the team and yourself. So the object is to stay as clothed as possible, of course, to not only preserve your dignity, but also your points. The team with the most points, and clothed members at the end of the challenge, wins." Jonny explained.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) So basically, if we got an answer right, we got to keep our clothes. But if we answered wrong, we lose not just points, but possibly...a sock! **

"So we don't HAVE to take off our clothes?" Winry questioned causing the boys to grow impatient.

"NO! Weren't you listening? Damn!" Yzak snapped.

"Shut-up, I'm not asking you, I'm asking Jonny! Last time I checked, you're not him!" Winry shot back.

"Who the BLEEP do you think you're talking to?" Yzak growled as he stepped to the blonde girl, only to be held back by Dearka by his white tee.

"Cool it man." Dearka whispered.

"The silver-haired ass BLEEP, who doesn't know when to mind his own business!" Winry growled causing everyone to do a bunch of instigating 'ooh's' at her retort.

"Guys!" Jonny stepped in. "In response to Winry's question, no you do not HAVE to take off of your clothes. If you play the game right, you could very well walk away with Europe tickets in a fully clothed body." Jonny sighed.

"But still, this is a little extreme!" Kagome shrieked.

"Only if you make it that way. Alright teams, we'll give you five minutes to get yourselves together and then we're gonna get started." Jonny explained as he and Sachiya sat down in their seats.

"Good luck, Hiei." Sachiya winked towards the Fire Demon, causing Pan to suck her teeth and roll her eyes in irritation, catching Hiei's attention.

"Hm." He narrowed his eyes into Pan's direction as if to study her carefully. Suddenly, his eyes widened as his left eyebrow raised in disbelief.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ...BLANK STARE...**

**Dammit!**

"I'm not doing it!" Keiko shook her head as she, Botan, Cagalli, Kagome, Lacus and Aeka all sat under a tree deciding whether or not they were going to participate in the challenge.

"I totally agree! I couldn't dare see myself taking off my clothes infront of those jerks!" Kagome frowned.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Especially not Miroku! My GOD, that's a disasterous humiliation waiting to happen!**

"Right, so what do you suggest?" Botan sighed.

"Boycott." Lacus added lowly.

"Right, if we don't go through with it, then they'll have to change the challenge!" Cagalli raised.

"Why that's a marvelous idea!" Aeka nodded.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Some of the girls were being all childish and whining about the challenge. The rules were simple, you wouldn't have to take off your clothes if you got an answer right! So don't answer, unless you're sure your answer is right! GOD! BLEEPING idiots!**

"Are they actually not going to do the challenge?" Hilde came up beside Faye as the two observed the girls who sat afar.

"Yeah. Morons. All you have to do is not answer if you're afraid you'll get it wrong!" Faye folded her arms.

"You just be sure with your answer, that's all." Hilde added.

"Right! So what the BLEEP are they crying about?" Faye huffed as she waved her hand in their direction, and turned to leave for the challenge site.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I don't know why some of the girls couldn't reason that if they got an answer RIGHT then they would get to stay CLOTHED...geez! It's embarrassing, because none of the guys were complaining. Well, except for Hiei...but he had reasons.**

"I forbid you to allow Yukina to participate in this challenge!" Hiei faced off with Jonny, his tattooed arm beginning to smoke as Jonny remained steadfast that the decision was up to the girl in question.

"I can't not allow Yukina to participate, Hiei man, I'm sorry." Jonny held up his hands in a submissive manner.

"Hn." Hiei glared.

"Oh don't worry Hiei-chan! I'm sure that if Yukina is as smart as you, she won't have to worry about getting any of the answers wrong!" Sachiya crooned.

"She knows nothing of Ningenkai you stupid girl!" Hiei growled.

"Look, I can't keep Yukina out of the challenge, it's not fair to the girls, you'll just have to hope that she gets all of her answers right." Jonny let out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh yes, I do hope. For YOUR sake, that is." And with that, Hiei turned on his heels and headed back towards his team, leaving Jonny to stand in fear.

"Oh crap." Jonny gulped.

After five minutes had passed, both teams decided to go head to head in the challenge. The girls were unfortunately at an automatic starting disadvantage being that six of their teammates refused to participate.

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Thanks to us having a bunch of cry-babies on our team, we ended up starting with an automatic disadvantage. Those cowardly bitches! Well, except for Lacus, I think she actually had a reason to not feel up to competing in a game that pretty much requires you to be nude in front of a bunch of men. In which case I say, Eiri Yuki...you BLEEPING bastard! CLEARS THROAT But, I still love your work.**

"Alright ladies and gentlemen this...is..._Strip...Jeopardy_!" At Jonny's announcement, Brad cued a rock like-mix of the _Jeopardy_ theme as both teams faced one another behind their podiums. The boys stood behind blue podiums as the girls stood behind pink podiums, both quite anxious to start the game. "Alright Sachiya show the game board please."

"Right away Jonny." Sachiya nodded as she lifted the curtain from the game board.

"The categories Sachiya!" Jonny prompted.

"Okay we have: Comedians, Geography, The Civil War, 21st Century Music, Science and Nature, and Vocabulary!" Sachiya read off the categories.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I found it quite interesting that for the girls team the main ones who found the challenge immoral and refused to participate, were the smartest ones. Now THAT'S ironic! STARTS LAUGHING**

"Alright girls being that you're at an automatic disadvantage, we'll start with you." Jonnny started. "Pan, you have command of the board."

"Okay, umm, Vocabulary for 200 points." Pan selected her question.

"Alright, the answer: This word is the term for the knightly code for qualities like courtesy and valor." Jonny waited for someone to ring in, luckily Pan came in immediately. "Pan!"

"What is...ah..." Pan scratched her head. "Damn its on the tip of my tongue!"

"Hurry up and answer, you've got five seconds." Jonny warned.

"Ooh! Chivalry! What is chivalry?" Pan answered exictedly.

"Chivalry is...correct!" Jonny stated causing the girls to bounce up and down in celebration.

"Pan, it's still on you." Jonny informed.

"Okay, Vocabulary for 400 points." Pan made her selection.

"Answer: This word can mean to take off from the top of a liquid or to pass swiftly over." Jonny read the answer earning a small break of silence before someone from the boys team rang in. "Yes, Kurama!"

"What is skim." Kurama answered with confidence.

"Skim is correct for 400 points!" Jonny nodded.

"Alright Kurama!" His team cheered him on.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) Man, it's good to have a genius on your team.**

"Kurama you now have control of the board." Jonny stated.

"Science and Nature for 200 points please." Kurama selected earning a bunch of sighs from both sides.

"Alrighty then: It is the main metal in both bronze and brass. Whoa! Okay Fllay!" Jonny was taken aback at how quickly the rasberry-haired girl rang in.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) I knew that Kurama knew the answer, he was getting that over confident look as the question was being read. So...I panicked. What do you expect? We were at a disadvantage! But, I admit, I probably should've waited until an easy question was asked before I panicked. SHEEPISH GRIN**

"Fllay, your answer." Jonny pushed.

"Uhh...umm, I...what is gold!" Fllay blurted out.

"WHAT!" Hilde frowned.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Even _I_ knew that was wrong!**

"Umm, no..._gold_ is not the correct answer." Jonny arched an eyebrow responding to the next person to ring in. "Kurama!"

"What is copper?" Kurama answered calmly.

"Yes, copper is correct for 200 points! Fllay, start taking something off. Come on, shouldn't be THAT hard for you." Jonny sighed.

"Hey!" Fllay pouted as she slipped her blouse over her head revealing her pink lace bra, trying desperately to ignore the whistles coming from the boys team.

"Don't you answer not ANOTHER question!" Faye growled towards Fllay.

"But what if I know the answer?" Fllay whined.

"Yeah, right...okay." Faye chuckled.

"Okay, Kurama, you have control of the board." Jonny stated.

"Yes, I'll take Science and Nature for 400 points please."

"Alright, the answer: When lightening strikes the sand, it can melt and fuse it into a type of this, called fulgurite. Yes, Kurama."

"What is glass?" Kurama answered.

"That is correct!"

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Man, Kurama was really starting to piss me off! He kept getting all of the answers! It was like the game was out of our hands. Well, at first anyway. SMIRKS**

"Wait!" Lacus came in from the side, stopping the game briefly.

"Yes Lacus?" Jonny addressed her.

"I'd...like to participate. Is it too late?" Lacus asked timidly.

"Well, technically you're suppposed to be playing anyway so I guess, as long as you're not adding to the team if it were already filled I guess it's okay."

"It is." Sachiya finished. "I read that boring ass rule book you gave me. She didn't DQ, and technically she's supposed to be playing so she can come in now."

"Alright then, Lacus, step on up." Jonny nodded.

"What are you doing?" Miriallia whispered to the pink-haired girl to her left.

"What I have to." She answered flatly.

"Kurama you still have control of the board."

"Hm." Kurama nodded, casting a quick glance into Lacus' direction before proceeding. "Science and Nature for 800 points."

"From their size, which is about 2.5 centimeters, and how they crawl, caterpillers of the moth family are sometimes called this. Wow! Lacus!"

"What are inchworms?" Lacus answered.

"Yes, that is correct." Jonny smiled as the girls cheered their mini-victory.

"The Civil War for 200 points please." Lacus selected.

"Alright: On March 12, 1864, he was promoted to commander of all Union Forces. Lacus!"

"Who is..."

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) I think it was a rather good plan. Considering my speculations, I was more than certain that it would work.**

"Who is...General Custer?" Lacus answered.

"No, sorry."

"Darn." Lacus sighed as she proceeded to raise her pink tank over her head revealing her very bare chest to all that were present.

"Kurama!"

Kurama had buzzed in immediately after Lacus' wrong answer but unfortunately, once the pink-haired girl had removed her tank, he found that he was unable to speak. "Who..."

"Kurama?" Athrun furrowed his eyebrows, trying his best to keep his eyes away from Lacus' direction. He couldn't help but frown at Dearka, who made no effort to avert his gaze but only gaped like a lost child.

"Hey man snap out of it, you gotta answer!" Kuwabara was growing worried.

"Who is...is..."

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Oh, she is good. VERY good. Almost delectable. SIGHS**

"Five seconds man." Jonny warned.

"Kurama! Come on!" Yzak growled, even though, he too had a hard time averting his gaze from Lacus' half nude form. A VERY...HARD...time.

"I..." Kurama froze. Suddenly out of nowhere, he caught a nosebleed and passed out.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) And men say that women are easy! HA! **

"Aw, you gotta be BLEEPING kidding me!" Yusuke griped.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Dammit! Kurama was our smartest guy! So we were left to depend on the Coordinators. SUCKS TEETH Lovely.**

"Hmph. What a simple weakling." Sesshomaru scoffed.

"What the hell's his problem?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Well, that question's null and void. The answer is Ulyssus S. Grant. Lacus you still have control of the board."

"Yes." Lacus took this time to cover her bare chest with her arms as she proceeded to make her selection. "Geography for 200 points please."

"Answer: This river is 250 miles longer than the Amazon." Jonny read the question. "Lacus!"

"What is the Nile?" Lacus answered with high confidence.

"Correct!"

"Alright, I'll take Geography for 400 points!" Lacus declared.

"This Asian country has the highest number of horses per capita in the world. Pan!"

"That's easy! What is Japan!" Pan answered.

"Umm no, sorry."

"What? What do you mean 'no?'" Pan placed her hands on her hips.

"I mean, no that's not the right answer."

"Oh come on!" Pan growled.

"Stop protesting and start taking something off. Yes, Kira."

"What is Mongolia?" Kira answered.

"Mongolia is correct for 400 points!"

"Alright!" Kira cheered.

"Pan, your bandana doesn't count as an article of clothing." Jonny sighed.

"Huh?" Pan gave a horrified look into Jonny's direction.

Bra gave the other girl a gentle nudge. "You have to take something else off hon."

Pan then decided to slip out of her sandals, looking even more horrified as she saw Jonny shaking his head. "Come on! Those are TOTALLY articles of clothing!"

"I guess I should've mentioned this in the beginning. Shirts, pants, shorts, skirts, and underwear only count."

"WHAT!" Pan turned beet red. She shifted her gaze discreetly into Hiei's direction and noticed that he was staring directly at her. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I HATE THE WHOLE WORLD! EVERYTHING IS SO UNFAIR!**

Sighing and with a beyond obvious cherry red tint to her cheeks, Pan slipped out of her red tank, covering her bare chest with her arms. She spared Hiei a quick glance and noticed that he was purposely averting his eyes. However, she couldn't ignore the light rose tint to his cheeks. Was he blushing? "What the hell?" She questioned under her breath.

"Okay Kira, you have control of the board."

"The Civil War for 400 points." Kira chose his question.

"Answer: During the war, this former slave and Underground Railroad conductor was a spy for the Union of South Carolina. Umm, yeah...err, Yukina?" Jonny spared Hiei a frightened look, who gave him a look saying that 'she had better get the answer right.'

"Who is Harriet Tubman?" Yukina answered.

"Wow! Yeah! T-that's right! PHEW!"

"The Civil War for 600."

"This confederate Vice President was nicknamed "Little Ellick" due to his small size which was 90 pounds. Kira!"

"Who is Alexander H. Stephens?"

"Correct!"

"Ha, how's that for some genuine Coordinator knowledge!" Dearka pepped as he slapped five with Yzak.

"Oh hush, you guys don't know EVERYTHING!" Bra rolled her eyes.

"The Civil War for 800 points please." Kira continued.

"It was the easternmost of the 23 Union states. Whoa okay, Dearka!"

"What is Rhode Island?" Dearka folded his arms in a rather conceded manner.

"Nope, sorry!"

"What? You're kidding!" Dearka widened his eyes in shock earning a slap on the back of the head by Yzak before the silver-haired boy buzzed in.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Damn, karma really IS a bitch!**

"You dumbass! What is Maine!" Yzak answered through gritted teeth.

"Maine is correct, Dearka, we need to see some skin!" Jonny reminded.

"Fine!" Dearka proceeded to lift his black tank over his head revealing a bare and quite ripped torso.

"Ooh, take it off sexy!" Bra teased and bit her lip into the blonde's direction.

Dearka only leaned over onto his podium sending a flirtatious grin into Bra's direction, causing Miriallia to roll her eyes.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) I don't know what would make Bra do that, now she'll never get him off of her case! TRUST me!**

"Watch it there dude, that's my baby sister your ogling!" Trunks warned.

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) I may have sounded like I was joking, but dammit I was DEAD serious! He better not EVER touch my sister, otherwise they'll never find the body!**

"Yzak will you make a selection already?" Jonny sighed.

"Vocabulary for 600 points please." Yzak replied.

"Answer: This word can be defined as uneasiness of mind or dissatisfaction. Yzak!"

"What is disconcertment?" Yzak answered.

"Correct!"

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Yzak pretty much took the baton after Kurama...checked out. The game was hot...in EVERY way. DIRTY SMIRK To put it simply so you know who won...the girls have nice tits! Especially Faye! DAMN! You could see those babies coming around the corner!**

"Well that was fun wasn't it guys?" Jonny smiled ignoring the flushed faces of the entire girls' team and the death glares being cast his way from Hiei. He suspected the Fire Demon didn't take his sister's nudity too well. He didn't understand it. Trunks didn't seem to be taking it so harshly about HIS sister's nudity. Perhaps he was more preoccupied with the fact that his team won.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I have NEVER been so humiliated in my ENTIRE life!**

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Man, I'm really REALLY starting to love this game!**

"Ahem! Well Sachiya, could you read off the final results for us?" Jonny regarded the purple haired girl.

"Yeah." Sachiya narrowed her eyes into Hiei's direction. He was behaving strangely, and she, being as disturbingly obsessed as she was with the Fire Demon, could easily pick up on it. "Hm. Ookay, um. Girls you have a final score of 16,920. Boys, you have a final score of 28,790. Chibi Wolf Hero goes to Yzak."

"Yeah buddy!" Dearka cheered for his friend as the silver-haired boy accepted his prize.

"Winner for today's challenge and a paid tour of Europe, the boys!" Sachiya finished.

"Damn it!" Faye growled.

"Oh no." Keiko sighed.

"I don't wanna hear ANYTHING from those of you who 'boycotted' the challenge! BLEEPERS!" Faye stormed away from the challenge in a heated rage.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I don't have to do anything that I'm not comfortable with. Faye can get as mad as she wants. But I'm not about to go against my own personal values by going through with something like that.**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Oh my BLEEPING God! You're dating Yusuke Urameshi! How 'moral' is that BLEEP! STEAM COMES OUT OF EARS AS FACE GOES SUPER DEFORMED**

"Oh, my...did we win?" Kurama slurred as Yusuke supported the red-head's arm over his shoulder.

"Yep! Hey man, what caused you to lose it back there?" Yusuke questioned.

"Hm. Such...perfection." Kurama slurred as he stood on his own two feet, massaging his temples. He glanced at Lacus from the corner of his eye and noted that she was paying him no attention. "Perfection." Kurama shook his head.

"Well, inner circles get together, and err...do what you have to do." Jonny hurried away from the seen, as if he were escaping a certain Fire Demon's wrath.

During eliminations, the boys finally let Trowa go, Yzak feeling that getting rid of all of the weak players would help them in the future decided to stick to the inner circle's plan. The girls let Meryl go, due to her having the lowest score.

"Ladies, we may be behind, but we'll kick it up sooner than they think!" Meryl winked into her team's direction before turning to leave.

**Meryl: Trigun (Gals) It was really hard having to let them go, I just hope they pull through.**

**Trowa: Gundam Wing (Guys) I have no doubt that my team will conquer all in this contest. Keep it up guys! And thanks for the prizes!**

_**On the beach outside of the villas 3:44pm...**_

Lacus sat at the shore, allowing the tide to beat upon her feet. The cool waters felt good to her, and calmed her screaming mind. Sighing, she watched as a single crab slowly made its way back towards the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. She had changed into a simple floral print sundress that grazed her ankles. A soft ocean breeze whipped around her. She had pinned her hair back into a single pony tail with two strands left to hang by her temples. Yesterday had her feeling simply awful and heavy with stress and pain. She honestly felt like she just wanted to go home. It wasn't as if she truly needed the money, but she had to admit, that just being among the girls and working together with them was in many ways a treat.

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) I sometimes wish that I had never agreed to participate in this challenge. Then, I would never have met...someone. FROWNS**

She suddenly felt a presence coming from behind. She heard the grains of sand sinking beneath their footsteps as they approached closer. She didn't even bother to spare them a glance as she felt them sit beside her.

"I do hope that I am in no way intruding. I'm certain that you came down here to be alone." He spoke gently.

"No Kurama, I don't mind." Lacus sighed, still not looking into his direction. There was a moment of silence before she decided to speak again. "Faye's rather angry with the girls who decided to boycott the challenge." Lacus started.

"I see. She didn't seem to be taking the loss at all well." Kurama breathed.

"Hm." Lacus nodded. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye then, noticing that he was dressed in black shorts and a blue short-sleeved button up shirt, that he left unbuttoned to reveal his torso. "How, is your nose?"

"Hm?" It took a moment for her question to register before he answered. "Oh, I'm much better, thank you." Kurama couldn't help the faint blush that tinted his cheeks at the recollection of what had caused his little...problem.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Lacus is quite a young lady. I really don't see how her hardships could be used as a source of entertainment. For that matter, I don't see how ANYONE'S hardships could be so amusing.**

"I'm sorry." Lacus sounded more as if she were apologizing than sympathizing.

"Whatever for?" Kurama furrowed his brow.

"I did it on purpose." Lacus sighed.

"Oh?" Kurama nodded. He knew that she had planned her actions, however he decided to humor her and hear her out.

"I was so angry over...and so I took my anger out on you because I could sense that you...liked me." Lacus finished with a guilty sigh.

"Like you." Kurama corrected causing Lacus to turn her head into his direction in shock.

"Huh?"

"I still like you. And we did win after all, so I have nothing to be angry about." Kurama smiled.

Lacus stared into Kurama's direction, tilting her head slightly as if to study him closely. "Hmm, you're quite strange, Kurama."

Kurama's smile only grew wider, causing Lacus to follow suite and cast the red-head a genuine smile. Just then her cell phone rang, ultimately ruining the moment and irritating the crap out of Kurama.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I must say, someone has EXTREMELY bad timing! POUTS And I was so close! Damn _Nextel_! 'Where you at?' How about: 'About to engage in rather adult activities with a sinfully attractive red-head! I'll call you back!'**

Lacus viewed the caller id window, and her eyes almost seemed to widen in shock. She held up her hand to Kurama, almost as if to shun him away. "Do forgive me, but...I must take this!" Lacus hurriedly stood to her feet, and began to walk up the beach, away from Kurama leaving him to sigh in defeat.

He lifted his head up towards the heavens as if to plead towards the gods themselves. "Why?"

_**White Shore Pool and Jacuzzi 1559 hours...**_

The guys all hung out in their back deck taking dips in the pool and relaxing in the Jacuzzi while blasting their music, appropriately Gwen Stefani's "Luxurious" blared through the surround sound speakers. Much to the their surprise, some of the girls decided to join them, considering that they would rather be anywhere but in the same house as Faye at that moment. Botan, Ryoko, Pan, Bra, Miriallia, Cheza, Android 18 and Serena who got tired of covering up the phone reciever whenever she wanted to talk to Darien, decided to pay the boys' villa a visit.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) At this point, we pretty much figure 'what the hell, we've got nothing else to lose! SHRUGS IMPISHLY**

Bra, Pan and Miriallia decided to kick back in the Jacuzzi along with Dearka, Ed and Yzak playing a nice game of Truth or Dare. Botan, Serena, and Cheza just sun bathed by the pool, while Ryoko and Heero went head to head with Android 18 and Goten playing chicken in the pool. Yusuke and Kuwabara were engaging in a diving contest while Hiei, Wufei, Koga, Miroku, Inuyasha, Trunks, Duo and the wolves just decided to relax in the lounges by the pool with Botan, Serena and Cheza.

"Oh Faye has completely lost it. You know we wouldn't be over here unless the situation was dire." Botan sighed as she continued to sun bathe.

"That bad huh?" Wufei released a half-chuckle.

"Diabolical! My ears can only take so much. I feel sorry for the others who decided to stay." Botan turned over onto her belly.

"This one wonders if things have calmed down." Cheza stated softly.

_**Hell in Starfish...**_

"And what the BLEEP was that BLEEPING BLEEP about BLEEPING keeping your BLEEPING..." Faye continued to yell and scream to no one in particular.

"That's it," Cagalli whispered to Hilde, "I'm BLEEPING out of here!" Cagalli snuck out of the back door to head for the boys' villa which was quickly turning into a safe house for Starfish refugees.

"Wait for me!" Hilde whispered as she grabbed her shades and left behind Cagalli.

_**Chilling at White Shore...**_

"Not a chance!" Botan shook her head in response to Cheza's statement.

"Man, that sucks!" Duo sipped his lemonade and laid back in his lounge.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) It's strange, it seems like the boys are calming down now that they're so far ahead in the competition. Maybe it's as I suspected, their retarded behavior before was due to their insecurities. Hmm, interesting.**

"Okay Pan, your turn," Bra smirked, "truth or dare?"

"Hmm, okay...truth!" Pan smiled.

"Alright. Tell the truth, do you have a secret crush on Hiei?" Bra giggled.

"Ooh, that's a good one!" Dearka put his hands behind his head as the steam in the Jacuzzi seemed to thicken around the six individuals.

"Umm...errr..." Pan bit her lip.

"Hey if it's not true you should be able to come right out and say it." Miriallia teased. "Why the hesitation?" Miriallia arched an eyebrow.

Pan looked over her shoulder towards Hiei who was relaxing on a lounge in his black swimming trunks and sunglasses. The small Fire Demon looked so comfortable with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed at his ankles.

"Well?" Bra pressed.

"Uhh..." Pan scrunched her face almost as if she were grimacing. Facing the smirking faces before her, she decided at this point it was pretty much inevitable. "Okay...maybe a little. GOD I can NOT believe I just said that!"

"Ah-ha! I KNEW it!" Bra splashed the raven-haired girl. "You little slut!"

"What! Who you calling a slut, slut!" Pan splashed her friend back playfully.

"Man, I wonder what Hiei's gonna think." Ed chuckled.

"He's not gonna think ANYTHING, because he's not gonna FIND out!" Pan held up her fist in front of Ed's face in a threatening gesture.

"Right! Okay chill out! Man you two really ARE made for each other!" Ed joked causing Pan to raise her fist again.

"You know you're going to have to fight Sachiya for him right?" Yzak reminded.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Ooh, catfights! My favorite! Someone's bound to lose their top somewhere in the middle! DIRTY SMIRK**

"Whatever!" Pan waved her hand. "Okay, it's my turn now!" Pan scanned the individuals before her. Her eyes then rested on Miriallia who was sitting to her right. "Miriallia, truth or dare?"

"Hmm...dare." Miriallia chose.

"Ooh, bad move." Bra shook her head.

"Why?" Miriallia furrowed her brow.

"You'll see, Pan is so evil to those that choose 'dare.'" Bra sighed.

"Miriallia. I dare you, to...kiss Dearka!" Pan giggled.

"What! No way!" Miriallia growled.

"Oh yeah! Pan, you're a goddess." Dearka smirked into Miriallia's direction.

"I refuse!" Miriallia folded her arms in protest.

"Oh so you don't mind being naked in front of him, but you can't even give him so much as an innocent kiss?" Pan coerced.

"Oooh!" Miriallia growled.

"I told you." Bra shrugged.

"Oh, fine!" Miriallia grimaced as she made her way across the Jacuzzi and towards Dearka, who had an annoying smirk plastered on his face.

"Come to daddy!" Dearka chuckled.

"Oh shut-up!" Miriallia gritted.

"Idiot, you keep this up and she'll probably bite you!" Yzak hit Dearka on his shoulder.

"Shut-up man, don't give her any ideas!" Dearka hit Yzak back on his shoulder. Miriallia then squinted her eyes shut as if she had just eaten a lemon and awkwardly leaned forward to place a quick peck on Dearka's cheek.

"Aw come on!" Everyone protested.

"What the hell was that?" Pan frowned.

"Pan, hon...that was a kiss." Miriallia answered sarcastically as she made her way back across the Jacuzzi to her spot.

"That wasn't a kiss!" Ed waved his hand.

"Yeah, I barely felt that!" Dearka pouted.

"Good! Now, it's my turn!" Miriallia smiled rather deviously.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) I can't believe she made me kiss Dearka! Oh but payback truly is sweet. And revenge is best served cold.**

"Pan!" Miriallia started. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Pan gave Miriallia a challenging stare.

"Brave girl. Stupid, but brave nonetheless." Miriallia smiled. "Pan, I dare you...to tell Hiei, how you really feel."

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Damn, what is it with karma nowadays? It seems to be biting everyone in the ass!**

Pan could do nothing but stare at Miriallia with widened eyes. She then let her eyes wander towards Hiei, who was still relaxing on the lounge. Everyone around her seemed to stop and become silent. Only the sounds of Omarion's "Touch" over the stereo could be heard in her ears.

"Come on girl! Snap out of it, and make like Usher and start confessing!" Miriallia pressed.

"Oh this is gonna be good." Ed grinned as he watched Pan exit the Jacuzzi and make her way over towards Hiei.

She could have only been grateful that no one else was around him once she made it beside his lounge. He didn't even acknowledge her presence once she sat on the lounge adjacent to him. She started to fiddle with her fingers nervously casting one last glance into Miriallia and the others' direction. They were waving her on, almost as if they were encouraging her. Heaving a sigh, she decided to swallow the last of her pride and let it spill out. "Hiei." She began quietly. "Um, I know I make fun of you, and we really don't get along, but umm...well I guess what I'm trying to say. I don't really mean to be such a pain, even though sometimes you can be a pain too in which case you deserve every bit of my wrath but err...I uhh...I kinda...I li...I li...I like you."

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Oh crap! What the hell have I done? FACE TURNS COMPLETELY RED**

_**To Be Continued...**_

xXx

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A/N: Well, that was tiresome. Maybe not as long as the last chapter but still, it was pretty hefty wouldn't you say? Wow gee, what could happen next? Will Hiei be receptive to Pan's confession? Or will Pan get harshly shot down by the Fire Demon that we all know and love? And how will Sachiya react to this new development? And what's up with Lacus and Kurama, more importantly...Lacus? Are you shakingly curious to find out who's been calling her? And Darien, SHAME ON HIM! What will happen with these lovely characters? Find out in next weeks installment chapter 13 "Bon Appetite!" I'll holla!

Side Note: Guys, just so you know, something important has come up. As it stands right now, I am due to ship out to Marine Corps boot camp for 13 weeks in Parris Island, SC on December 12. So wherever this story stops on December 12, it'll be on hold for 13 weeks, after that I have MCT (Marine Combat Training) so we're looking at like 16 weeks that this story will be delayed for, maybe more. I hope you guys stick around but I have to do that, being that I've already sworn in on Thursday. And backing out on a governmental swear in is subject for a $10,000 fine or 2 years imprisonment. So, I will DEFINITELY not be backing out. Can't update stories in jail now, can I? Go to my profile and check out my blog for more information on that. I am SO sorry, but I really can't back out on my obligation. Take care, and...wish me luck 12-12-05, because Marine Corps boot camp, in case you don't know...is BLEEPING hard as HELL! I'm scared! Mommy! I need a drink! (Goes to stash to search for uncle Jack Daniels)


	13. Bon Appetite!

A/N: Wassup guys! Well, it has been quite a week for me, how about you? I don't wanna go into detail, but it has a lot to do with my enlistment into the military. As it turns out they found traces of crack in my blood...oh gosh darn, now how did THAT get there? XD Sike! You guys know damn well if they found traces of crack in my blood, you wouldn't be getting this chapter, because they would probably drag me out of my own home kicking and screaming and throw my ass in the nearest brig for further interrogation! LOL! Nope, my cooky behavior (from which this insane fic has spawned) is a result of my very weird and complex brain! Oh BTW, did you guys like that nice little cliffy? I know, evil but hey, here's the update so no worries. Thank you SO SO very much for all of the reviews of the last chapter, and your encouragement for the soon to come hell that I'm going to be put through really brought a smile to my face. Don't worry, I probably won't be going to Iraq after my training because of the type of job I'll have. I don't know...that all depends. They usually send all infrantry over first...especially the men. And being that I have nothing to do with either of those, my chances of going to Iraq are rather thin. Again, I thank you so much for all of the encouragement, and let's just have fun while I'm here! I'm not too worried, so neither should you guys be. So let's get this party started, shall we? Enjoy! ;-)

**Disclaimer: **First chapter has it. (Notice how the more I update, the lazier I get with these...weird)

**Song Disclaimer: **"Hanging by a Moment" lyrics ownership of Lifehouse.

* * *

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 13: Bon Appetite!**

_**Previously on Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style...**_

_"Man, that chick has got it bad." Dearka chuckled as he sipped his orange juice._

_"What are you talking about?" Hiei questioned lowly._

_"Ah, how can I put this?" Dearka scratched his chin as he ventured toward the small Fire Demon. "Hmm, well, I'll just say this. Sachiya isn't the one that you should be worried about, Pan is." Dearka smirked..._

_**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Ohhh no. I knew this would happen! Pan...she's such a dumbass sometimes! CHUCKLES...**_

_"Okay Pan, your turn," Bra smirked, "truth or dare?" _

_"Hmm, okay...truth!" Pan smiled._

_"Alright. Tell the truth, do you have a secret crush on Hiei?" Bra giggled..._

_"Okay...maybe a little. GOD I can NOT believe I just said that!"_

_"Ah-ha! I KNEW it!" Bra splashed the raven-haired girl..._

_Miriallia smiled. "Pan, I dare you...to tell Hiei, how you really feel."_

_**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Damn, what is it with karma nowadays? It seems to be biting everyone in the ass!**_

_Pan could do nothing but stare at Miriallia with widened eyes. She then let her eyes wander towards Hiei, who was still relaxing on the lounge. Everyone around her seemed to stop and become silent. Only the sounds of Omarion's "Touch" over the stereo could be heard in her ears._

_"Come on girl! Snap out of it, and make like Usher and start confessing!" Miriallia pressed._

_"Oh this is gonna be good." Ed grinned as he watched Pan exit the Jacuzzi and make her way over towards Hiei._

_She could have only been grateful that no one else was around him once she made it beside his lounge. He didn't even acknowledge her presence once she sat on the lounge adjacent to him. She started to fiddle with her fingers nervously casting one last glance into Miriallia and the others' direction. They were waving her on, almost as if they were encouraging her. Heaving a sigh, she decided to swallow the last of her pride and let it spill out. "Hiei." She began quietly. "Um, I know I make fun of you, and we really don't get along, but umm...well I guess what I'm trying to say. I don't really mean to be such a pain, even though sometimes you can be a pain too in which case you deserve every bit of my wrath but err...I uhh...I kinda...I li...I li...I like you."_

_**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Oh crap! What the hell have I done? FACE TURNS COMPLETELY RED...**_

Pan could feel her insides squirming and churning in anxious anticipation of what was going to happen next. The afternoon sun beat down upon her form, causing her body temperature to rise to a maddening level. She had had crushes before, but not once had she despised it with every fiber of her being. Truly the Fire Demon irritated the sheer crap out of her, but she'd be lying if his crimson eyes didn't keep her transfixed, almost as if he enthralled her.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) GRRR! I hate every moment of this! I wish there was a way where I could continue to hate him without that small retarded part of myself that can't help liking him! I feel like I'm losing my mind! Why is it that sometimes the things we hate, we can't get enough of? It makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever! He didn't answer me, the little creep was ignoring me, so I decided to repeat myself. FROWNS Smart idea.**

"Umm, Hiei. Did ya hear me? I said that I...like you." She gritted her teeth upon the reiteration of her confession. Suddenly, she heard him make a sound. It was low and guttural, almost like a...growl. "What the..." Pan arched an eyebrow as the Fire Demon continued to lounge by the pool.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I thought he was getting ticked off with me, after all, that's how a dark spirited guy like him would react to a confession like that right? BLAND STARE**

Pan scooted to the edge of her lounge as she leaned closer towards Hiei's relaxing form. Narrowing her eyes, she studied his behavior further. The growling grew louder. However, it took a sharp eye to notice that the Fire Demon wasn't 'growling' at all. He was...snoring. "Tell me you're joking!" Pan griped. She then saw Hiei turn over onto his side. His back was to her, however, she knew a sleeping individual when she saw one, and Hiei was definitely sleeping.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Sleeping! Can you believe that! He was sleeping! Through all of that noise, from splashing in the pool to the blasting music, that little bloodsucker was sleeping! WTF **

She didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved, but at that point she was more than certain that the latter was more acceptable. "Grrr!" Standing to her feet, she walked away from the slumbering Fire Demon with her fists tightly balled at her sides, and made her way back towards the jacuzzi to gather her things.

Yzak and the others witnessed the entire event from their place in the jacuzzi.

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) Looks like Pan was shamelessly shot down! HAHAHA**

Yzak smirked as he witnessed Pan roughly gathering up her belongings that rested beside the jacuzzi. "Everything went well?"

"Dandy!" Pan growled as she slipped on her flip-flops and headed towards the back door.

"Hey, Pan, wait...where are you going?" Bra called to the other girl.

"I am going to the game room to watch Kira and Athrun shoot some pool. From the looks of it, Athrun is losing something horrible, which makes me smile on the inside!" Pan grumbled as she turned on her heels carrying her things and proceeded to her destination.

"Oh, wow. She looked really upset." Miriallia frowned in empathy.

**Miriallia: Gundam Seed (Gals) I didn't mean for that to happen, really. Man, Hiei could've at least let her down nicely! That is just so wrong! **

"What a jerk!" Bra frowned into Hiei's direction.

"Yeah I know, the little guy totally gave her the cold shoulder. Did you see?" Dearka sighed. "Damn, I think he's meaner than you Yzak." Dearka chuckled.

"What are you talking about? I'm not mean!" Yzak snapped.

"Whatever! You've made girls cry and you know it!" Dearka teased.

"I have not!" Yzak protested.

"Oh okay. Does this name ring a bell? Shiho Hanenfuss." Dearka emphasized every syllable.

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) He's never going to let me live that down. EVER!**

"Ooh, who's Shiho?" Bra cocked an eye.

"No one." Yzak replied lowly.

"This really hot chick who had a crush on Yzak when we were in the acad-BLULP!" Dearka gurgled as his head was dunked into the steamy jacuzzi waters to silence him.

"You talk WAY too much, Elsman." Yzak gritted as he held the struggling blonde under with one hand.

_**White Shore Interior...**_

Pan sat on a barstool eating chips and salsa beside the pool table on which Athrun and Kira currently dueled upon. Athrun leaned his chin on his poolstick as he waited for Kira to take his shot. The brown-haired boy was hunched over, his poolstick parallel with the red upholstered table-top as the cue ball remained its target. He had called his shot for the eight ball in the left corner pocket. The game had been tied for a while, and Kira was determined to win. Athrun idly glanced at his watch and released an inaudible sigh. His opponent had been in this same position for the last four minutes.

"Kira-"

"SHH! Not while I'm shooting." Kira whispered manically.

"You haven't shot anything yet!" Athrun griped.

"Well, the ball is in a weird place on the table, and I'm shooting from a weird angle. Just wait a minute!" Kira growled.

"Ugh!" Athrun slapped his forehead in frustration.

"Why don't you aim for the wall instead of the pocket." Pan said with a stuffed mouth as she dipped another chip into the salsa.

"Don't help him!" Athrun snapped.

"What? I'm getting tired of this!" Pan frowned as she chewed over her snack.

"Right! The wall! Why didn't I think of that before! The acceleration times the force divided by the equilibrium of-"

"Shoot it!" Both Athrun and Pan shouted causing Kira to immediately act, missing his shot.

"Dammit, you guys made me mess up!" Kira whined.

"Our bad." Pan grinned as she popped another chip into her mouth. Just then, the door swung open revealing both Cagalli and Hilde with rather desperate expressions plastered on their features.

"Oh my GOD!" Cagalli huffed as she slammed the door behind she and Hilde.

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) At this point, Faye had resorted to throwing inanimate objects. Fllay got hit in the head with a tupperware dish and locked herself in her room. Yukina, Keiko, Catherine, and Blue went out for the day, and I don't know...I think Aeka got knocked out by a flying frying pan or something. SHAKES HEAD Poor girl.**

"Dammit Athrun, you should've been there! Faye's gone psychotic!" Cagalli sighed in exasperation.

"Then why should I have been there?" Athrun questioned flatly as he proceeded to make his shot.

"I'm just saying, knowing you, you probably would've died laughing." Cagalli half-chuckled.

"But you _don't_ know me." Athrun snorted. "So what are you talking about?"

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Cagalli frowned.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Cagalli and Athrun had been having relationship problems ever since the staring contest. And I think I know why. Cagalli got a little carried away and decided to...go for the jugular. WINCES**

_**Flashback: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You...**_

_"...What are you gonna do? Go into SEED mode, let your altered genes get the better of you and start killing at random?" Cagalli huffed._

_"What did you say?" Athrun frowned as his emerald eyes burned into Cagalli's brown ones._

_"You heard me." Cagalli stated coldly._

_"That had better be a joke, Cagalli." Athrun growled._

_**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) She just shamelessly insulted my race! What the hell! And this is supposed to be someone that 'loves' me? I know we're in a contest, but I never stopped caring for her. And for her to make a comment like that, makes me question where she stands in our relationship.**_

_"What, did I strike a nerve?" Cagalli replied lowly._

_"What the hell do you think?" Athrun could feel himself becoming angrier by the minute._

_"Oh so, it's okay for you to insult me and say that my team isn't going to win because we have too many Naturals on our team, but the second I get you back it's a problem?" Cagalli interrogated._

_"But I didn't mean it like that?" Athrun frowned._

_**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) That liar! Whenever we argue or don't agree on something the subject of race and genes almost ALWAYS comes up! Frankly, I'm getting sick of it! I never say anything, but now that I have, he get's mad at ME? Who the hell does he think he is?**_

_"Then what did you mean Athrun? What, that your race of human is better than mine? Because, that's what it sounded like to me." Cagalli could feel her eyes beginning to burn, not just from lack of moisture, but from tears that begged to be released._

_"Well..." Athrun cocked an eye._

_"Ugh! You are such a...OOOOH!" Cagalli shed tears and internally cursed for losing the round for her team._

_"Cagalli, you're out!" Jonny called urging the blonde to storm away from Athrun._

_"Wait, Cagalli!" Athrun called._

_"Shut-up! I don't wanna talk to you!" Cagalli turned her back to him as she made her way to the sidelines with the rest of her team._

_"Damn it!" Athrun kicked the ground in frustration._

_**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) This whole Coordinator/Natural thing is REALLY putting a strain on our relationship. It's the same reason Kira and Fllay couldn't work it out. It's just too much to handle. And then Cagalli's such a BLEEPING hothead, and not making it any easier! Oh well...at least I won. SMIRK**_

_**Back to the Present...**_

"It means exactly what its supposed to. You _don't_ know me." Athrun finished as he made his shot, winning the game. "Score."

"I don't believe you!" Cagalli made her way over to Athrun by the pooltable.

"Believe it." Athrun responded blandly without looking at his obviously angry girlfriend.

"Uh-oh." Pan sighed.

"Here we go again." Hilde sighed as she leaned against the wall and began sharing the chips and salsa with Pan.

"Are you _trying_ to be difficult?" Cagalli huffed.

"No, that's your job." Athrun answered as he put up the poolstick, still not so much as looking at Cagalli. Just then, Botan and Kuwabara burst into the back door upon the commotion.

"PHEW! That sun shows you no mercy!" Botan began. "Why just five minutes and you'll be..." Botan trailed sensing the tension in the room. "What's going-" Botan started, but was cut off as she witnessed Kira shaking his head and drawing his hand across his throat in a cutting motion to signal her not to add fuel to the growing fire.

"You know what, I came over here to get away from the confusion at OUR villa, and here you are starting something else up that's not even necessary!" Cagalli shouted.

"So you're qualified to make that decision?" Athrun stated, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"What are you talking about?" Cagalli frowned.

"That it's unnecessary." Athrun finally spared her a sharp glance.

**Athrun: Gundam Seed (Guys) See that's her problem. I can read Cagalli like a novel. She feels inadequate around me because of what I am, so she likes to overplay the tough-girl role with me. She thinks it makes me love her more, but it only irritates me, and causes me to not wanna be around her. And this whole contest is making her act even worse.**

"Oh so, what, now I'm not qualified to make decisions?" Cagalli narrowed her eyes.

"Oh boy." Kuwabara gulped.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Looks like Athrun needs some help from the love doctor! GRINS Women and arguments. Men, you can't win! You accept that, and you'll both be much happier! CHUCKLES**

"Dammit, I didn't say that, Cagalli!" Athrun shouted.

"Yes you did, you implied that I'm not qualified to make a decision!" Cagalli fumed.

"No, I _implied_ that you're acting like a controlling bitch!" Athrun yelled.

"Oh so now I'm a bitch! Wow, anything else you've been _dying_ to express to me Athrun!" Cagalli screamed as she stormed over towards Athrun.

"Wait, Cagalli!" Kira stood in front of her, holding onto her shoulders to calm her down.

"Move!" Cagalli pushed Kira out of her way, the brunette Coordinator ending up tripping over a beanbag chair.

"I didn't say you were a bitch, if you'd listen to me for one BLEEP damn minute..."

"I'm not a bitch..."

"I didn't say you were a bitch, if you'd stop acting like a BLEEP damn bitch...

"Oh my." Botan gasped.

"Whoa! Time to go!" Hilde raised as she, Pan, Botan, and Kuwabara all made their escape through the back door.

"Guys please!" Kira tried to neutralize the situation as the two lovers stood mere inches in front of one another screaming like two people trapped in a very unhealthy relationship.

"...I'm not _acting_ like a bitch either! Who the BLEEP do you think you are you blue-haired mother BLEEPER..."

"...Why the BLEEP are you even here! This is OUR villa! So if you've got a BLEEPING problem, you can just get the BLEEP out!"

"BLEEP you, I'll leave when I BLEEPING well please!"

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Athrun was getting really pissed with Cagalli. Now I know he would never hit a girl, but she was REALLY pushing his buttons.**

"You know what, BLEEP this, I'll leave!" Athrun shouted as he pushed past Cagalli to head for the front door.

"Don't walk away from me! You don't get to say when we're done talking! You're not QUALIFIED to make that decision!" Cagalli stormed behind Athrun. Upon approaching him, she grabbed him by the arm in efforts to make him face her.

"Bitch will you leave me the BLEEP alone!" Athrun screamed as he snatched himself out of her grip. Cagalli, having been called out of her name, immediately saw red, and let her anger get the best of her. She reached onto the pooltable and grabbed for the eight ball, and chugged it straight into Athrun's direction.

"Cagalli no!" Kira yelled, but was too late as the heavy ball made contact with Athrun's forehead.

Athrun fell to the ground, gripping his throbbing forehead. "What the BLEEP is wrong with you!" Athrun shouted.

"Oops." Cagalli winced, guilt overcoming her at an unbearable rate. "I'm sorry!"

"How the BLEEP are you sorry? You did it on purpose!" Athrun shouted.

"Oh man! Producers!" Kira called around the villa. He then spared the camera a glance. "Dude! Why are you filming this? Get some ice! And Cagalli, you are in SO much trouble!"

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) I didn't think it would hit, really. Sometimes I really gotta watch my temper.**

Athrun's forehead began to redden and swell from the assault. "Outta my way Kira!" Athrun stood to his feet his eyes set straight on Cagalli.

"Athrun, cool it man! She's a girl!" Kira warned.

"Oh, bull BLEEP!" Athrun charged for the girl.

"Oh...CUT!" Kira screamed into the camera.

CAMERA GOES BLACK

_**Two hours later in White Shore Living Area...**_

Pan, Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, Botan, Hilde, Bra and Kira all chilled out in the living area watching television. Most of them had just come from either the pool or jacuzzi while the rest retreated to the game room, exercise room, or bar. They tried to forget what had occurred a couple of hours earlier until Bra broke the silence.

"Are they still talking to the producers?" Bra questioned earning nods from the others.

"Who?" Kira questioned idly as he continued to look at television.

"Athrun and Cagalli." Bra finished.

"Yeah." Kira answered.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Well, you guys didn't see it, but umm...Athrun and Cagalli kinda got into a fight. Things got a little out of hand, and the fight turned physical. CHUCKLES You should see those two, they look like Tyson and Holifield...minus the ear-bite. Not saying that Cagalli didn't try it though. Damn that girl is violent!**

"They're not going to try and kick them out of the contest are they?" Botan queried warily.

"I don't know. I sure hope not." Kira sighed.

"Yeah, that would just suck. Especially considering that it's kinda MTV's fault that they're having problems." Pan added.

"How so? Those fools were stupid enough to get involved with one another despite their differences. They should've known that it wasn't going to always be all smiles and sunshine." Hiei commented harshly.

"How does that make them fools?" Pan frowned.

"The two of them are too different. Rivals even, yet still they decided to live out the fairy tale fantasy that had them both blinded and dumb, and ultimately got themselves into a chaotic situation. Which basically classifys them as being fools." Hiei leaned back into the recliner, staring up towards the ceiling.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I can't believe him! How can he think like that? I know he's a creep but my GOD!**

"Differences shouldn't matter, if they care for one another, that's all that they need." Pan was quickly becoming irritated with Hiei's reasoning.

"The fact that you even think that, further justifies your own stupidity and foolishness." Hiei stated coldly.

"WHAT!" Pan fumed.

"Come on you guys, we already had to put up with two lovers trapped in hell, we don't need you guys going at it too!" Kuwabara sighed.

"We're not lovers!" The two shouted nervously.

"I...didn't say you were." Kuwabara furrowed his eyebrows.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Man, those two are so weird.**

"You know what, I think it's time I be on my way! I'm sure Faye has calmed down by now and besides, we've got a challenge tomorrow so, toodles!" Pan immediately hopped to her feet to head for the door.

"What's with her?" Kuwabara tilted his head, noticing that Hiei simply leaned back into his recliner. He appeared to be relaxed, but the fact that he kept swaying his foot in a nervous motion truly confused the orange-haired boy.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I think this contest is screwing with everyone's head. **

_**Morning in Starfish: 7:33am...**_

The house was a wreck, as pillows, objects and even pieces of clothing sprawled about the floor. Crumbs and portions of food littered and stuck onto the hard-wood floors. Many of the girls who had come in late had made an attempt to clean the house, but became tired and ended up having to call in to the producers for help.

"This is a damn shame." Hilde sighed.

"Tell me about it." Kagome shook her head as the two stood at the top of the stairs.

"Where's Faye?" Hilde questioned.

"Over there." Kagome pointed towards the unconscious raven-haired woman on the kitchen floor covered in pots and pans.

"What the hell?" Hilde's eyes widened.

"She was trying to reach for a pair of tongs and they all fell on her, knocking her out." Kagome sighed, almost in relief.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Well, at least she finally went to sleep. SHRUGS**

The doorbell then rang and Sally fought her way through the mess in order to answer it. "Who is it?" She called.

"Maid service!" The small female voice sounded muffled from the other side of the door.

"Oh, finally." Sally sighed as she opened the door to reveal a small green-haired girl dressed in a maid outfit and ready to work. Her sapphire eyes sparkled eagerly as she gripped her supplies upon the girls' front porch.

"Hi, I'm Mimiru!" She chirped pleasantly. (A/N: And there you are! Anyone else want a cameo?)

"Oh, come on in. The place is a total mess." Sally invited the maid in.

"Oh that's okay. That's what I'm here for!" She smiled as she entered into the villa scanning her workplace. True she was a maid, however, she had never seen a mess such as the one set before her. "Oh my, god." She stated under her breath. Sighing, she sat down her supplies and began to work. "I should be done by...this afternoon." Mimiru informed.

"Great! Good luck!" Sally pat the girl on the shoulder and, stepping over piles of junk, headed back towards the steps to get dressed.

"Great." Mimiru sighed as she continued to do her job starting with picking up the garbage from the floor.

"Morning!" Botan yawned as she approached Hilde and Kagome who were watching the maid work. "Hey do you guys know if Cagalli ever came back?" Botan questioned rather worried.

"Yeah," Kagome began, "but it was really late, like around two or something."

"So, she's still allowed to stay in the contest?" Botan added nervously.

"Yeah." Kagome responded as if to say 'of course.'

"Did you see her?" Botan questioned.

"Yeah, I didn't get a good look at her face, but I saw that she had an _Ace_ bandage on her left wrist." Kagome answered.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Athrun was totally wrong! I don't care HOW pissed you get, if you're a guy, you NEVER put your hands on a girl!**

"Is Athrun going to have to go home for that?" Botan nibbled on her lower lip.

"I don't know." Kagome shook her head with a sigh.

"He barely touched her though, I saw the whole thing!" Hilde began. "He grabbed her wrist and twisted it, that's about it! Cagalli was really the one on the offense. Remember when she lunged at him and ended up running into the wall and busting her nose?" Hilde regarded Botan.

"Yes, she was rather out of control." Botan sighed. "But still, he didn't have to twist her wrist like that."

"She wouldn't stop, he had to do something." Hilde shrugged.

"He could've walked awa-" Botan was cut off as she witnessed Lacus tiptoeing her way through the front door. "What?" The three girls noticed that her hair had been let down and she appeared as if she had just woken up, which meant she had slept...just not at the villa.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Ooookay. Very interesting, Lacus was out all night. Now, where could SHE have been? Hmm?**

Lacus spared the villa a glance and noticed that a strange girl was cleaning the place up. From her garb, she could tell that she was hired help, and so she just nodded into the other's direction and proceeded through the trash jungle and towards the stairs. Trotting her way up the steps, she caught sight of Kagome, Hilde and Botan. "Oh, good morning girls." Lacus smiled.

"Good morning." Hilde returned with wide eyes.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I wanted to ask Lacus where she was all night but, I didn't want to get into her business like that, so I just left it alone.**

"Well, I guess we should start getting ready for the challenge, hm?" Lacus finished as she entered into her room and shut the door.

"Okay, I think I speak for all of us when I say...what the HELL!" Hilde stated.

_**0922 hours in White Shore...**_

"...Don't worry about it man, they're not gonna kick you off." Dearka encouraged Athrun who had an icepack on the back of his neck, a result of his girlfriend's abuse. The two sat at the kitchen counter along with Duo, Vash and Spike.

"I twisted her wrist, that's considered physically assaulting her." Athrun sighed.

"Well, considering all the BLEEP she was doing to you!" Duo added.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I'd never say this to Athrun because that's his girl and everything but umm...that bitch is crazy! Almost DANGEROUS!**

"So, you guys gonna call it quits?" Vash asked as he sipped his coffee.

"I don't know." Athrun shook his head.

"What do you mean 'you don't know?'" Yzak raised. "That bitch tried to kill you!"

"She's not a bitch Yzak!" Athrun snapped.

"Oh so that band-aid under your eye from where she tried to basically claw your eyes out is the result of a loving angel?" Yzak frowned.

"She was just upset. We both were." Athrun replied half-heartedly.

"About what? That argument came out of nowhere, man!" Yzak furrowed his brows in confusion.

"No it didn't." Athrun countered. (A/N: Actually, it did...but I'm in a random mood so :-P)

"Hmph! Whatever." Yzak shunned the subject away as he bit into the toast that Dearka had just sat in front of him. The _Nokia_ cell phone rang then, and Yusuke went over to answer it.

"Hey guys listen!" Yusuke caught everyone's attention. "_Hope you're hungry for today's challenge, because today we test the capacity of your stomachs._ Hm, okay, so we're doing an eating contest." Yusuke concluded, and inwardly chuckled once he saw the guys in the kitchen dropping their food onto their plates in disgust. "Nobody eat anything, we wanna have room for the contest."

"Yeah, if you say so." Goten approached from the steps.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke frowned.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) Think about it, every challenge has required us to humiliate, and nearly kill ourselves. What other method of torture has not been touched on yet? Hmm. FAKE DUMBFOUNDED LOOK**

_**Ninth Challenge: Bon Appetite!**_

The contestants were all brought to a building which had an interior set up like a restaurant. Before them sat a small table for two. The setting had a mock romantic feel to it with the candlelights, wine glasses, and dim lighting. Behind the table for two was a table filled with covered platters, their meal they assumed.

"Good afternoon, is everything okay?" Jonny began, having heard about the confusion that had occurred the previous day. The contestants all nodded, and he couldn't help but shake his head at the sight of Athrun and Cagalli's banged up forms. Brushing it off he continued. "As you can see, you have been brought to a restaurant which can only mean one thing, today...you eat." Jonny informed.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I had a bad feeling about everything today. Faye was EXTRA quiet, I guess she called herself giving us the 'silent treatment,' Cagalli and Athrun were looking completely mangled, and Lacus and Kurama were just acting...weird. Plus, Jonny seemed all too eager to get the challenge started, and that can only mean one thing.**

"However, don't think that we're gonna make it easy for you." Jonny arched an eyebrow. "Sachiya!" He signaled for the purple-haired assistant hostess to uncover the platters, and she did just that.

"OH MY GOD!" Sango covered her mouth.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) If I didn't think the producers were crazy before!**

"Welcome to your ninth challenge, _Bon Appetite_! Today, you will be competing two at a time racing at eating this lovely food that you have before you." Jonny smiled.

"You call THAT food!" Kagome shrieked.

"Yeah. On today's menu are fresh bull testicles, live mealworms, live cockroaches, fresh lamb eyeballs, and pickled eggs." Jonny explained, laughing to himself at the cringing individuals before him.

"Oh god, I think I'm gonna be sick." Catherine placed her hand on her stomach. Even Cheza had to wince at the listing of what she would have to ingest.

"Are you outta your mind!" Ryoko growled.

"Doesn't sound so bad, except for maybe the pickled eggs." Hige gloated.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention your drink. A lovely protein shake with ingredients including that of pig intestine, durian, which is a pungent fruit, animal fat, rooster testes, cow eyes, veal brain, spleen, cod liver oil, bile, fish sauce, and of course...wolf sperm. All to be blended by yourself once you've finished your 'meal.'" Jonny informed as the blonde-haired diver Brad, who was quickly becoming a third assistant rolled out the other ingredients for the protein shake. He noticed that Sachiya was trying to ignore him, and only smirked to himself.

"Wait, wait, wait! Wolf sperm?" Hige squealed. "Where the hell did you get wolf sperm!" Hige grimaced once he heard Tsume clearing his throat.

"Tsume!" Kiba gagged.

"I didn't know what they wanted it for!" Tsume defended.

**Tsume: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I thought they were going to use it to preserve the species! Those sick bastards!**

"Oh hell no!" Yusuke shook his head. "Hell BLEEP no!"

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) Just looking at that stuff made me want to vomit. The mealworms were all crawling over the plate, and the cockroaches were...EWWW! SHUDDERS**

"The object is to finish the food and the protein shake before your opponent in order to gain points for your team. Whoever finishes first will gain 1,000 points to their team's score. If you lose you get nothing. If you throw up, you DQ. If you go over your time limit, which is eight minutes, you DQ." Jonny explained. "The winner for today's challenge, meaning whoever finishes in the quickest time, will get the Chibi Wolf Hero, and this team prize." Jonny turned to Sachiya.

"A _Yamaha_ R6 sports motorbike." Sachiya stated with little enthusiasm. She refused to take her eyes off of Hiei, and each time she caught him staring at Pan, she could feel her anger escalating.

"Sachiya!" Jonny snapped her out of her daze.

"Right, in colors varying from black, blue, silver, red, and custom." Sachiya finished. She noticed that Jonny was staring at her and she shook her head as if to return from a trance. "Yeah, starting scores. Boys, you have a starting score of 28,790, and girls you have 16,920." Sachiya finally finished.

"Okay, who do we have up first?" Jonny regarded Sachiya but noticed that she was out of it again and turned to his other helper. "Brad."

"Yeah, okay." The blonde teen began. "Up first we have...Spike and Fllay."

"Alright Spike, Fllay, have a seat over here." Jonny instructed.

"Oh great!" Fllay griped.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) This was a complete nightmare! Give me public nudity anyday over this! BLANK STARE And I mean that in the most, innocent way. CLEARS THROAT**

Spike and Fllay sat before one another at the candlelit table for two, disgust etched upon their features at the anticipation of what was soon to come. Brad and Sachiya served them their plates, uncovering them to reveal plates full of a pink and greenish slimy looking substance, covered in live mealworms and cockroaches.

"Christ!" Spike's face scrunched in disgust.

"Oh." Fllay covered her mouth. "I can't do this."

"Come on Fllay, don't think about it!" She heard Catherine call from the sidelines.

"No, I-I can't do this." Fllay shook her head in horror.

"Yes you can girl, just focus on the win okay!" Android 18 called out.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I could see it in her eyes. Fllay was completely freaking out. I was actually starting to worry about her.**

"No." Fllay continued to shake her head.

"You wanna continue?" Jonny questioned the rasberry-haired girl.

"It's okay, it'll be over before you know it!" Keiko called out.

"She's right! Just focus on beating the boys alright Fllay!" Botan added.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) I had a decision to make. Walk away, be a loser, have my entire team looking down on me and disrespecting me, and possibly eliminating me because I wasn't too far from the bottom with my scores. Or I could go through with it, possibly vomit, but still keep my respect from my other teammates for the effort. Choices.**

"Okay. I can do this." Fllay said aloud causing her team to cheer at her decision.

"Alright, you guys ready?" Jonny began.

"Yep!" Spike clapped his hands together, trying his hardest to ignore the grossness of it all.

"Okay, ready...GO!" Jonny sounded his horn and both Spike and Fllay dug into their plates. Spike was the first to put a mouthful of bull testicles and mealworms into his mouth, wincing as he chewed it over. Fllay continued to pick at her food, trying to knock off the cockroaches and mealworms and sunk her teeth into a raw area of the bull testicles.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) I have never tasted anything so gross in my life! I can't even explain what it tasted like and for that matter, I don't want to!**

"Aw man." Inuyasha frowned.

"This is all wrong." Koga shook his head as he witnessed Spike finish his plate and head for the blendor to prepare his shake.

"Come on Fllay!" The girls cheered for their teammate who was halfway through her plate. They then saw Spike pour his blended liquid into a wine glass.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) We were doomed, I knew it when Fllay went against Spike that for the rest of the challenge, our asses were jinxed!**

"Stop!" Jonny sounded his horn, just as Fllay was about to head for the blendor. "Sorry ladies, first round, goes to the boys."

"Alright Spike!" Ed cheered for his teammate.

**Fllay: Gundam Seed (Gals) Well at least I tried. AWKWARD PAUSE Which brings me to something. I ate all of that BLEEP for nothing! Ugh! That is SO unfair!**

"Alright, umm, Brad...who's next?" Jonny regarded the blonde boy, frowning at Sachiya who was casting Hiei and Pan the dirtiest of looks.

"Inuyasha and Keiko." Brad announced.

"Alright guys, come on over!" Jonny guided.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I had to win! Not just for my team, but also...to get Faye off of my back. Geez, can that woman ever hold a grudge!**

"Alright, ready...GO!" Jonny sounded his horn as both contestants dug into their plates, appearing as if they wanted to vomit with the first mouthful. "Remember if you throw up, you DQ!"

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Then again, Faye I could handle, but THAT was simply ridiculous!**

Inuyasha gagged a little as he chewed over the mealworm and cockroach covered bull testicles and lamb eyeballs.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) If I had to imagine what a thousand different varieties of ass would taste like, that would DEFINITELY be it!**

Keiko proceeded to plug her nose as she stuffed her mouth and chewed over the disguting substances.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Cockroaches are the worst, because once you start chewing, they like explode their juices all in your mouth and...UGH! I can't talk anymore about this! I have to brush my teeth again. Please excuse me! WALKS AWAY FROM CAMERA**

Not too long after Inuyasha finished his plate did Keiko follow right behind him and head for her blendor to begin preparing her shake. She could feel her stomach gurgling up but fought the urge to vomit as she filled up the blendor.

"Come on Keiko!" Julia cheered.

Both contestants winced as they blended their shake, the foul taste of their previous meal still lingering on their tongues as they poured the shakes into the wine glasses. Plugging her nose once again, Keiko hurriedly gulped the shake down even with Inuyasha, ultimately ending the round in a...

"Tie!" Jonny called as he sounded his horn.

"Oh GOD!" Keiko shivered and shuddered as she dropped her wine glass onto the table and leaned against a wall as the room began to spin around her. A small belch escaped her throat and she could feel the contents of her stomach trying to use that as an oppurtunity to escape, but fought back the urge once again.

Inuyasha found a place on the ground and hovered over on his knees with his face in his palms. Swallowing a few times he sat up and gladly accepted the glass of water given to him by Sachiya, quickly chugging it back to show his appreciation.

"Well, this seems to be going well." Jonny smiled. "Who's next?" He spared the contestants a frightening glance causing them to all gulp anxiously.

The competition was probably the most disgusting since their ordeal with the Epicac syrup. Kuwabara, Julia, Aeka, Serena, and Duo ended up vomiting and getting disqualified. And though they suffered ten losses, the boys still came out on top once more, dragging the girls further down into their depressed stupor of defeat.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) BELCHES Damn, my stomach's never gonna be right after that.**

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anything more disgusting." Jonny commented earning a bunch of weary and sickly looking stares from both teams. "Well, anyways. Sachiya, read off the sco...I'm sorry, BRAD would YOU read off the score's please." Jonny sighed at Sachiya's suddenly cold and distant behavior.

"Sure." Brad gave Jonny a thumbs up. "For the ladies, you have a final score of 26,920. However, the fellas, have a lovely score of 42,790 leaving this contest in the favor of the men! Chibo Wolf thingy winner and _Yamaha _R6 motorcycles for their team, Hige!"

"Yeah! OO-RAH!" The boys cheered but quickly stopped as they all felt their stomachs beginning to gurgle up. They decided on silent claps at that point.

"Alright, inner circles, decide away!" Jonny instructed as both team inner circles broke away.

_**Eliminations...**_

"Okay teams, have you both decided on who to let go?" Jonny began.

"Yeah." Yusuke stepped forward for the boys. "Based on having the lowest score, and we REALLY hate to see him go but...Vash." Yusuke stated as Vash stepped forwards slapping hands with his teammates on the way.

"Continue kicking ass guys!" Vash winked as he walked towards his van.

"Count on it man!" Yusuke smiled as he, Hiei, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha all made their way back over to their team leaving the floor to the girls' inner circle.

"Alright ladies, have you decided on who to let go?" Jonny started.

"Yes." Hilde spoke for the girls' inner circle. "Because she has the lowest score, and as much as we hate to do it, but...Catherine, we're sorry."

"It's okay." Catherine smiled as she hugged her teammates. "Don't give up."

"We won't." Kagome smiled, trying her hardest not to cry.

"This one will miss you Catherine." Cheza sighed.

"I'm gonna miss you guys too, just promise me that you'll pep up!" Catherine smiled.

"We will." Faye cast her a warm smile.

**Catherine: Gundam Wing (Gals) I was surprised that Faye decided to send me off with a gentle attitude considering what had happened. I know I'll really miss those girls, and I have no doubt in my mind that they'll make it through.**

"Before we proceed, Hige, would you like to use the Wolf Hero to save anyone here today?" Jonny regarded the chubby wolf.

"Nope." Hige sighed.

"Alright then guys, take care, be safe, and we'll see you tomorrow. Brad, Sachiya." Jonny called for his assistants. Sachiya however failed to make a move and once again he had to resort to calling her more than once. "Sachiya! Wake up!" Jonny called, snapping her out of it as she followed her co-worker and boss.

_**A Brand New Starfish...**_

"Wow look at this place!" Botan exclaimed as she and the others entered into the villa. The place sparkled like it did once they had first arrived. The floors shined as did the walls and table tops. The couches seemed brighter colored than before, and it smelled of lemon fresh _Pine-Sol_ and air freshener.

"The maid really did work a miracle." Sango smiled.

"Oh no, how much do we owe her?" Faye sighed.

"I don't think we owe her anything. I think MTV pays for it." Serena answered.

"Don't think, know." Faye enforced. She then headed towards the phone. "I'm gonna call the producers and ask them."

"Cagalli, how is your wrist?" Lacus questioned.

"It's fine." Cagalli answered flatly as she curled up on the couch.

"Are things okay, with you and Athrun?" Kagome queried generating a loose shrug from Cagalli as the blonde turned on the television, the current showing of a commercial causing her to frown.

_Are you a controlling bastard? Do you tell your significant other where to be, when to be there, what to do once they've arrived, and how to do it? Are you always 2-3 seconds away from getting bitch-slapped?_

_Well, have we got the solution for you!_

_From the author who brought you "Five Fingers: Nature's Mute Button," "Making it Look Like an Accident" and "101 of the Greatest Alibis" comes yet another self-help book for love-whipped jailbirds worldwide. This Christmas, swing by your local book store and grab a copy of Dr. Suge Knight's "Learn How to Shut the BLEEP Up!"_

_"Learn How to Shut the BLEEP Up!" is a source of knowledge, inspiration and ideas for finding and maintaining a healthy, domestic violence-free relationship. Using his clinically formulated 12 step program, Dr. Suge Knight explains and illustrates what you have to do in order to keep that special someone close to you, and all of your teeth attached to your gums._

_**Dr. Suge Knight: (2Pac's Supposed killer) OBVIOUSLY READING CUE CARDS It does not matter, if you have just started seeing one another, or have been together, for years. FAKE SMILE My especi-specially formulated 12 step program, can help you to maintain, a happy, and loving, relationship. Here are a few steps, that are included, in the program:**_

_**Admit, you have a problem.**_

_**Admit, you ARE the problem.**_

_**Accept, that if you do not pursue your issue now, you could very well end up either dead, hospitalized, or physically scarred for life.**_

_**Accept, that your behavior is self-destructive and by all means...irritating as hell!**_

_**Random Chick: I went through the twelve step program, and am proud to say, that it has been three months since my last jaw fracture!**_

_**Random Dude: I went through the twelve step program, and am happy to say, that not only has my penis been re-attached to my body, but my wife and I are expecting our first baby!**_

_**Another Random Dude: My girlfriend was so domineering. She always used to embarrass me in front of my buddies. I got her the book as a get well gift during her time spent in the hospital. Which wasn't my fault by the way! OBVIOUSLY GUILTY She really did trip over the cat and fall down the stairs. Ahem! Anyway, I got her the book, and in three weeks, she was the greatest, bitching-free, girlfriend a guy could dream of! I can even bring her to Super Bowl parties with the guys now! Thank you Dr. Suge!**_

**_Dr. Suge Knight: READING CUE CARDS You have heard the stories, and now it is your turn. Don't be a bitch, make the switch, and learn how to shut the BLEEP up! PHONY SMILE _**(A/N: Randomness...don't cha love it? XD)

Cagalli immediately clicked the television off, feeling both Kagome and Lacus' eyes on her. "What?"

**Cagalli: Gundam Seed (Gals) I didn't cut the t.v off because of a guilty conscience. I cut it off because that was downright scary. Athrun is a TOTAL control freak! OBVIOUSLY DELUSIONAL**

"Well then, I'm going to go for a walk." Lacus raised as she stood to her feet and headed for the front door. "I'll see you girls later."

Faye watched her retreat out of the oak door with a wary stare. Nibbling on her lip, she settled at the kitchen counter and tried to get her mind off of the pink-haired girl's strange behavior.

"_Now_ where is she going?" Kagome sighed.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Cagalli shook her head.

_**Lighthouse 5:22pm...**_

_**Desperate for changing, starving for truth...**_

Lacus had been sitting by the lighthouse for the past three hours, just listening to the earthly ambience that surrounded her. Her long pink tresses flowed freely behind her, a breeze whipping her knee-length spaghetti strapped sundress up towards her thigh. She didn't mind it until she felt a presence come up behind her. A familiar presence. She sighed and smiled as she felt them approach closer. "I knew you would come."

**Lacus: Gundam Seed (Gals) He's starting to come around more often now. Not that I'm bothered. He's very nice. But I'm still just...I don't know. Maybe I'm being unreasonable.**

_**...I'm closer to where I started, chasing after you...**_

They didn't move, but only stood there, a smile grazing their lips as they simply watched the ocean breeze engulf the beauty before them in an aura of peace and love. "Always." They spoke softly as they sat beside her and proceeded to watch the dancing ocean waves before them. "Do I bother you? Because if so I could leave you alone."

"I wish you wouldn't." Lacus smiled, not looking at him.

"Then I will stay." They sighed as they comfortably positioned themself on a patch of grass at the base of the lighthouse. A moment of silence passed between them before Lacus decided to break it.

_**...Forgetting all I'm lacking, completely incomplete. I'll take your invitation...**_

"How long do you plan to stay here, Kurama?" Lacus questioned.

"As long as you allow me to." Kurama responded as he fiddled with the blades of grass beside him.

Lacus only gazed at him briefly and then back out into the vast blanket of waves that were the Atlantic Ocean. "Good."

_**...You take all of me now, I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held onto. I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you.**_

_**To Be Continued...**_

xXx

* * *

A/N: Well, well, well. What have we here? No really...what's going on? I don't even know! One of you guessed that Hiei was asleep during Pan's little confession! Good on you! Yeah, sucks for Pan anyway. And Athrun and Cagalli...well this is just my twisted way of illustrating something about them that if you don't know, I'm not telling, because then you just need to find out for yourself. And Kurama's like the only one of the guys that's being nice to Lacus...that's SO like him! Anyway, if you're aching to find out what happens to these characters, check in next time for Chapter 14 "Me Tarzan, You Screwed!" BTW, about that little commercial insert, honestly I was inspired by a shitty personal relationship of my own. GOD! PLEASE don't ask! Long boring ass story! Man, I put Suge Knight in there. Sure hope he doesn't try to hunt me down and kill me! If you read this Suge, it's just a JOKE, nothing personal! Until the next update, I'll holla!


	14. Me Tarzan, You Screwed!

A/N: Oh man, I'm back, oh man I'm back! Haha, ya missed me? Well, I must say that life has been just something. From the computer that held all of my stories on it losing power...permanently to an attempt at getting settled in a career as a teacher (along with plenty of interesting in-betweeners. Life is indeed like a box of chocolates) I have had like NO time to devote to my stories. I updated ODD fairly recently, and that was truly a miracle. Aside from that, WOW it's a new year...again (2010 woohoo!), and it's time to continue with Season 6 (lol) of Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style. Hehe, I'm calling it Season 6 because 1) I plan on continuing this crazy series and drawing my inspiration from MTV's RW/RR challenges with mostly new Anime characters and even crazier challenges (can they get crazier?) 2) what year is this now, seriously, lol? And hey, there's this cartoon series out called _Total Drama Island_ that bears a strange resemblance to this story, plot wise. Hmmm. Not pointin' fingers, but you all just remember who did it FIRST! HA! (Okay so maybe I'm not first but it helps me sleep at night) So now that I'm back I'd like to let you know that I will be EXTREMELY busy. So updates will not be as fast or consistent, but they will happen, just kinda slowly. Without any further ado I give you Season 6 episode 1 or Chapter 14, lol.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them, but of course you know that by now.

**Song Disclaimers: **Edgar Rice's Tarzan Theme; "Lollipop" by The Chordettes; Destiny's Child "Independent Women"; "Hard" by Rihanna; Lady Gaga "Love Game"

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 14: Me Tarzan, You Screwed!**

_**0842 hours in White Shore...**_

"_We're in the money! We're in the money! La la la la la la..._" Duo sang cheerfully as he helped himself to some toast along with Yusuke, Miroku Kuwabara, and Kiba.

"I tell you men, it doesn't get any better than this!" Yusuke sighed as he took a swig of orange juice.

"Here, here." Miroku raised his glass of orange juice before taking a sip.

"There's no way that the girls can catch up with us now. They might as well forfeit and save us the trouble of humiliating them." Kiba sighed.

"Hey! Since when has humiliating them been any trouble? After all, it's not much to work with anyway! HAHA!" Kuwabara chuckled.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Girls suck! But I still love 'em. GOOFY GRIN**

"Look Bra I don't understand what the problem is!" Trunks came into the kitchen with his sister on the other end of his cell phone. The girl had been going on and on about her problems and Trunks was seconds away from hanging up on her.

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) I would've hung up on her, but then I'd have to hear: "What's with you hanging up on me? I'm telling Daddy!" Wah, wah, whine, whine! It's times like this I wish I had a younger brother instead!**

"Look I don't know what you expect me to do about it! Why don't you bug Mom and Dad instead, it's my turn in the shower." Trunks sighed. The others began to slowly crowd him as they heard the distorted sounds of Bra's hysterical voice growing louder through the phone. "Bra, I'm hanging up now. Yes, I am...I'm hanging up Bra. Goodbye. Goodbye. GOODBYE DAMN IT!" And with that he quickly shut his phone down and tossed it onto the couch. "Geez!"

"What's with your sister?" Android 17 huffed.

Before Trunks could answer he heard the short sample of 50 Cent's "Baby By Me" coming from his phone alerting him to pick-up. (A/N: Yeah yeah, so it's a new time, fall 2009, just go with it). "No one touch that!"

"Keh! You don't have to tell us twice! Your sister's nuts!" Inuyasha griped.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I think she's worse than Cagalli, because she's got super powers.**

"What's wrong with her?" Yusuke questioned as he slid on his black wife beater.

"Her 16th birthday's coming up and she's a wreck because of this contest and the party and...just stupid stuff. I can't worry about it though, I've got a game to win. WE have a game to win." Trunks shrugged as he marched up the steps to the bathroom.

Just then Kurama sauntered his way through the front door with a rather strange expression plastered upon his face.

"Good morning gentlemen." The redhead crooned.

"Dude..." Duo started bemusedly.

"Oh, I truly can't wait to commence with our next challenge. I'm sure it will be just...delectable." And with that said, Kurama practically floated up the steps towards his room.

"I'm sorry but did he just say our next challenge was going to be 'delectable?'" Dearka scratched the back of his head.

"That's what I heard." Athrun swallowed with widened eyes.

**Dearka: Gundam Seed (Guys) Man that guy is such a frickin' GIRL! WHY do WOMEN LOVE HIM!? I'm not jealous or anything...that's ridiculous, everyone knows the ladies love The Golden Gunner. SMIRKS**

The house's Nokia cell phone then rang alerting Hiei to pick it up and read off the morning riddle.

"What's it say, squirt?" Spike questioned earning a death glare from Hiei.

"Are you bait or king of the jungle? Prove your status in the wild with this daring and adventurous challenge. Be ready to leave the villas at 10am sharp." Hiei read off the riddle sourly.

"King of the jungle, eh?" Yusuke scratched his chin.

"What do you think it means man?" Kira questioned.

"Dunno, don't care. Even if we lose this challenge...we still win!" Yusuke laughed slapping five with his other teammates.

_**Morning in Starfish…**_

"Think. Think. Think." Bra chanted under her breath as she paced back and forth in her and Pan's bedroom. Pan couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh as she watched the girl wander about the room like a worrisome mother hen. Idly flipping through one of Bra's Cosmopolitans, Pan finally couldn't stand it a second longer.

"WILL YOU KNOCK IT OFF?" Pan bellowed in a screeching tone that mimicked that of a bat.

"What? This is a big deal! I have so much crap to do and this stupid competition is totally getting in the way of it! You don't understand the pressure, Pan! Ha ha,_ pressure Pan_. Sounds like a cooking supply." Bra giggled lazily at her random observation.

"Ugh!" Pan rolled her eyes as she slammed the magazine down on the nightstand and retreated from the bedroom.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Well, a lot has been going on. Aside from the sheer boredom that we've all had to endure due to the HOLD that was placed on the competition! Thanks a lot "producers!" Nothing has really changed drama-wise. Well Cagalli and Athrun finally worked out their differences and decided to give one another a break during the competition. They're "just friends." Honest. **_**ROLLS EYES**_**. Lacus finally got over that Uesugi…err Yuki guy or whatever, but she's been really distant since then. Not in a depressed on the verge of suicide distant but, in an I'm up to something and don't want any of you nosey bitches to find out about it kind of distant. Really weird. That Sachiya chick is still lurking about. I heard she and that Brad guy dated briefly after she decided to play hard to get with Hiei, but the "relationship" was quickly terminated once she realized Hiei was actually enjoying her lack of pestering. Anyway, as of this week it is drawing near to someone's birthday. But not just ANYONE'S birthday! Oh no. It's BRA'S birthday. So of COURSE it has to be just PERFECT. Oh and it's not just ANY birthday. Nooo! It's her precious SWEET SIXTEEN! That means that the whole world must stop and pay attention to the little Saiyan princess. **_**SCOFFS **_**Yeah, I was hoping this competition would be over looooong before this. I had plans to be in an obscure location in outer space when that day came. Thanks a lot "producers!"**

(A/N: Yeah, I know I've been a bad, bad author! Sorry Pan, and SORRY READERS! But hey! The show must go on!)

Pan rushed down the stairs of the girls' villa to escape the incessant murmurs of her now neurotic roommate. Entering into the living area she noted that everyone was dressed and appeared to be preparing to leave the villa.

"Hey! Where's everybody going?" Pan questioned, quite perturbed.

"Oh! Morning Pan!" Keiko greeted the girl. "We got a text message from Jonny. We're headed to our next challenge."

"What! Why didn't anyone tell me?" Pan pouted, still dressed in her pajamas, and nowhere near ready to leave for another challenge.

"Umm, we told Bra when she came out of the bathroom. We told her to let you know." Faye furrowed her brow in confusion. "She didn't tell you?"

"Uhh! No! She's too preoccupied with her stupid…damn it! Can you guys just wait for me? I swear I'll be ready in like fifteen minutes!" Pan exclaimed.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I'm gone!" Flay huffed as she donned her Hollywood sunglasses and headed for the door.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) Fifteen minutes? Oh please! Every girl knows that's girlanese for an HOUR and fifteen minutes. I wasn't about to miss out on the challenge and risk disqualification! Sometimes, it has to be every girl for herself. Oh wait, that's every time. **_**GIGGLES**_

"But Flla-" Keiko was cut off by the sound of the door slamming with Flay on the exit end of it. "Well, even though I hate to sound like I'm agreeing with Flay, I think it's best that the majority of us show up to the challenge. That way it doesn't make the team look bad, ya know?" Keiko suggested.

"Well, at least allow one person to stay behind with me. I've got a feeling Bra's going to sit this one out. And the next one after this. And the next one after that." Pan groaned.

"I'll stay." Yukina offered.

"Are you sure?" Keiko questioned.

"Oh yes, I don't mind. You girls go on ahead. We'll catch up with you." Yukina finished.

"Oh THANK YOU 'Kina!" Pan thanked as she darted up the steps Saiyan speed, to start getting herself ready. The other girls then left the three girls alone in the villa and headed for their next challenge.

_**Tenth Challenge: Me Tarzan, You Screwed!**_

The sun beamed down on the Earth at an almost alarming heat capacity. The temperature had reached a scorching 89 degrees and there wasn't a cloud in sight. In the eyes of the producers and Jonny, it was quite the perfect day for the anticipated challenge. This of course meant trouble for the challengers.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to your next challenge." Jonny greeted with a smile so bright that it seemed to reflect the sun itself.

"Hey." The challengers wearily chorused, as they slowly began to cook under the sweltering heat of the sun. The heat would not have been so bad if not for the 88% humidity, which made the outdoors feel extra sticky and caused one to sweat by merely standing still.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I must've taken three showers today and I still felt like if somebody were to throw a bag of feathers on me, I could masquerade as a chicken. Today was probably the worst day to do a challenge. It had stormed like crazy last night and you could literally see the steam rising from the grass. I woke up and couldn't see out of our bedroom windows because of the condensation. Just Awful.**

"Moooorning, Hiei." Sachiya smiled as she batted her eyelashes toward the small Fire Demon.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I cannot believe that that foolish girl is STILL here. Does she have a death wish?**

"Today you will be competing in a challenge of "aerial" proportions." Jonny smirked.

"Do be more specific." Sesshomaru urged.

"As you can see before you stand four platforms spaced at least 20 feet apart and are 50ft high. One of which at the top holds a quiz table, a suspension harness, a descending suspension cable that connects to the second platform, and two of our judges. The other has a safety cable and two safety-men. Below is a safety net." Jonny began.

**Goten: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) Since when have they been so concerned for our safety? Or have they all forgotten about our "friend" **_**Tigre**_**? *SHUDDERS***

"I'm sorry, did you say _quiz table_?" Wufei questioned.

"That's right. Today's challenge is called _Me Tarzan, You Screwed_. Both teams will compete head to head in a timed challenge of brains, speed, and deductive reasoning. On the first two platforms closest to you, a member from both teams will be hooked to the suspension harnesses. On the other two, one other member from both teams will be hooked to safety cables. They will then be instructed to stand over a trap door located on their platforms. At the sound of my horn, both competitors will then proceed to the quiz table where a puzzle awaits you. You will have exactly 60 seconds to solve your puzzles. If you finish in the provided time, immediately hit your buzzer and that adds 100 points to your team and 50 to your personal score. However, if you do not finish your puzzles in time, the trap door that your teammates will be standing on, which are set to a timer that only gets stopped by your buzzer, will release them. You will then have to swing by your suspension harnesses and attempt to catch your teammates before they fall below the yellow line that you see on the wall behind both platforms which signifies being out of bounds." Jonny relayed.

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Oooh, this is gonna be awkward. *GULP***

"Wolves are automatically assigned to the trap door platforms." Jonny knowingly assured earning a sigh of relief from all of the wolves.

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Phew! **

"If you catch your teammates, it's 50 points to your team score and 25 to your personal score. If you fail to do so, no points." Jonny explained.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Okay, strategy...pray that they put all the smart people on the first platforms and all the...uhhh, other people on the second platforms...STOP LOOKIN' AT ME LIKE THAT!**

"Take it away Sachiya!" Jonny instructed.

"Well Jonny, today's winner will receive a VIP Voucher at a European Day Spa for their entire team and the Chibi Wolf Hero!" Sachiya did her best Vana White impression. "Starting scores are for the boys, 42,790 and for the girls, 26,920. Good luck challengers!"

"Where the hell are Pan, Yukina and Bra?" Faye whispered to Hilde.

"BLEEP! They're still at the villa!" Hilde shrieked.

"WHAT?" Faye growled.

"Are you kidding? They're gonna get us disqualified." Android 18 hissed.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) I'm just saying, I didn't wake up to weather that makes a sauna look like the arctic to get DQ'd. Seriously, lives would be lost if that happened.**

"Calm down, I'll call Pan on her cell." Hilde held up a finger to signal the other woman to hold on to her impeding rant.

_**Meanwhile at Starfish…**_

"Bra! You have got to come out of there!" Pan yelled from outside hers and the other girl's bedroom. The Saiyan Princess had locked herself inside having been determined to make plans for her up and coming sweet sixteen birthday bash.

"Is she well?" Yukina questioned quietly from beside the petite girl, quite concerned.

"Physically, yes. Mentally, NO!" Pan answered with a growl. "Bra! Open the damn door! You have to do this challenge!"

"_No I don't!"_ Bra's voice sounded muffled from inside the room.

"Yes you do!" Pan insisted.

"_Why?"_ Bra called out.

"Because I said so! Now bring your spoiled little ass out here right now and LET'S GO!" Pan demanded sounding much like a parent scolding a child. There was a frighteningly long pause and silence for a moment that made both Pan and Yukina quite uncomfortable.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I did not want to suggest that Pan and I proceed to the challenge and just leave Bra alone. But, I also didn't want to look bad by not showing up at all. I really wanted to help our team, and Bra wasn't being very helpful.**

Pan and Yukina spared one another a long glance, quite unnerved by the long silence. Suddenly, the transistor radio sound of Saving Abel's "Addicted" caused both girls to jump. "It's just my cell." Pan assured Yukina as she answered. "Hello?"

"_Pan! What's going on? Why aren't you guys here yet?" _Hilde's voice filtered through.

"We're trying to get Bra to the challenge, but she locked herself in her room and is refusing to participate." Pan explained.

"_What!"_ Hilde was furious.

"I KNOW!" Pan agreed.

"_Ugh, look just leave her and come on. Better to be without one than three."_ Hilde instructed.

"Good point. See ya in a few." Pan hung up her cell and reaching for Yukina's hand sped down the steps.

"What about Bra?" Yukina shouted, quite startled by the speed at which they were travelling.

"I'll handle her later! Right now, we've got a competition to win!" Pan exclaimed as she and Yukina made it out of the villa and soon after were airborne and hurriedly heading for the competition.

_**Back at the Challenge...**_

"Ookay let's get started! First up, for the boys we have Kuwabara and Hiei!" Jonny started.

"Yes!" Yusuke cheered to himself.

"Kuwabara you have the quiz platform, Hiei, you have the trap door platform!" Jonny finished.

"NO!" Yusuke slapped his forehead.

"For the ladies we have, Serena and Winry with Serena on quiz and Winry on trap door!" Jonny announced.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) If I didn't know any better, I'd say they did this on purpose.**

**Yzak: Gundam Seed (Guys) Well, at least we were intellectually evenly matched. *SIGH***

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) I sure hope Winry wasn't under the misconception that the producers took her for a genius. Sure she constructed and fixed my arm and leg, but let's face it, she's a blonde. And you know what they say about blondes. LOOKS AT HIMSELF IN THE MIRROR Aw BLEEP.**

"Alright Kuwabara, do your best...quickly!" Yusuke encouraged. "No pressure."

"Riiiight." Kuwabara sighed.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I just knew that I was going to be hanging by a human-made contraption considering whose hands my fate rested in. That orange-haired fool is hopeless.**

The judges proceeded to hook Kuwabara, Hiei, Serena and Winry up to their respected contraptions in preparation for the challenge. Anxiety was evident on both teams, and for obvious reasons.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Really, it was anyone's game being that we both had dumbasses on the quiz platforms. *DEAD SILENCE* What? I'm only saying what everyone else was thinking at the time.**

"Alright, you guys ready up there?" Jonny shouted to the competitors who returned with thumbs up. "Okay...GO!" Jonny then sounded his horn.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I knew that everyone was expecting me to have a hard time with the puzzle. They all just think I'm a dumb brute! And...I am, but that's not the point! I happen to be a surgeon when it comes to solving puzzles. I once solved a Rubik's Cube in 30 seconds flat! *WINKS***

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) I didn't know what in the WORLD I was doing. **

"Come on Serena, take it easy! You can do it!" Keiko shouted from the ground as she smiled and waved towards her teammate.

"Are...are you serious? You really think that she can do it?" Miriallia whispered.

"Not a chance. But there's nothing wrong with a little morale boosting." Keiko whispered from the corner of her mouth as she continued to smile and wave toward Serena, causing Miriallia to shrug and follow suit.

"What is she doing?" Winry questioned to herself as she noticed Serena standing on her platform scratching her head. "Ugh, I'm going down...literally."

"Solve the damn puzzle already you fool." Hiei griped as he witnessed Kuwabara scratching his chin from afar.

"30 seconds left!" Jonny called.

"Damn." Hiei dropped his head releasing a sigh as he did so.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Okay, I know I said that I was good at solving puzzles, but this one was uhhh...kinda different. Ahem.**

"20 seconds!" Jonny announced.

"Ugh, this is useless. Call draw already, for sobbing out loud." Flay snipped.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) I had a bad feeling about this challenge. For some reason I think the producers were purposely going to put all of the smart people on the trap door platforms and all of the "others" on the puzzle platforms. Just because...they're anal.**

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six..." Jonny began the countdown as Kuwabara and Serena both struggled to finish their puzzles in time.

Hiei, who decided to sit on his trap door Indian fashion resting his chin in his hand could do nothing but tap his knee impatiently. "This is pathetic."

"Three, two..."

"Oh no!" Kuwabara and Serena gasped in unison as a loud Tarzan call sounded alerting them of their ended time.

"CATCH HER!" Sango shouted towards Serena who quickly ran to the edge of her platform to swing "Tarzan style" and catch a falling Winry.

"DO IT KUWABARA!" Athrun shouted as he witnessed Kuwabara attempting to do the same, as Hiei's falling body, which he somehow managed to keep in an Indian sitting fashion, grew closer to the yellow line.

"Hang on shrimp! I gotcha!" Kuwabara shouted as he swung to catch his teammate, the "Tarzan" theme playing appropriately in the background.

"Come on." Kurama whispered to himself as he and the rest of his team watched on anxiously as Kuwabara swung as fast as he could to catch Hiei before the Fire Demon fell out of bounds taking points with him.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I'm usually calm and level-headed but this particular challenge was enough to put anyone on edge. It was as I suspected. The producers purposely put intelligence on the second platforms. What a disaster.**

"That's it!" Jonny shouted as he witnessed both Hiei and Winry dangling past the out of bounds line, arms folded to reveal their inner disgust.

Just then, Pan zoomed in with Yukina on her back, slightly out of breath. "HERE!"

"Great, you're just in time for failure." Cagalli groaned.

"What?"

"That. Fool." Hiei said to himself as he bounced up and down by his safety cables with his arms folded.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) Well at least the boys didn't get points either. *GUILTY GIGGLE* Oh boy.**

"Okay, no points for that round. Up next we have for the guys, Yusuke and Kira. Yusuke puzzles, Kira trap door." Jonny began.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) See! I KNEW it! Of course the smart ones would be on the trap door! Where's the competition when you have geniuses solving puzzles in 30 seconds flat? AssBLEEPS!**

"And for the ladies, Botan and Keiko. With-"

"Botan on puzzles and Keiko on trap door. Yeah yeah, we're hip to your little 'arrangement.'" Keiko mock sighed as she headed towards her designated platform.

"Okay then let's get started!" Jonny called.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) This was especially challenging for me being that my puzzle required specific Human World knowledge in order to solve it.**

"Okay listen up." The quiz judge regarded Botan as he laid out a rather complex looking puzzle before her. "This is a Bisection puzzle. The object is to divide the figure into two parts. The shape of one part must be the mirror image of the other part, rotated at 90 degrees. The dividing lines should always pass through the gridlines or the diagonal lines of the grid. Ya got that?"

Botan could do nothing but stare at the judge blankly.

"Botan?" The tall brunette's green eyes pierced into Botan's empty amethyst ones. "Do you understand the concept?"

"My hair is blue." Botan stated dazedly causing the judge to return her blank stares.

"Yeeeeah. Try actually looking at the puzzle first." The judge urged.

"Right. Looking." Botan swallowed as she lowered her nervous eyes to the puzzle.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Oh I had absolutely no intentions of solving the puzzle. So I just had to pray that I could catch Keiko to at least get 50 points. That was impossible!**

"WHAT?" Yusuke shrieked to his judge.

"I said the object is to divide the figure into two parts. The shape of one part must be the mirror image of the other part-"

"Dude, I heard you! I just didn't understand what the BLEEP you said." Yusuke responded with a confused stare causing his judge to slap his forehead in exasperation.

"GO!" Jonny sounded his horn.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Were they BLEEPING kidding me? (MOCKING) "Divide the figure into two parts then take the other part and cross it over to that part and..." that's too many BLEEPING parts! Those puzzles were totally Rainman!**

"Uhh, okay...ummm..." Botan panicked as she eyed her puzzle helplessly.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I could tell that Botan was struggling. I just knew she wouldn't solve it which is why I figured, what's the point of getting upset? Such a waste of energy.**

_"Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli. Lollipop, lollipop oh lolli lolli lolli. Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli lollipop._ POP!_ Badum bum bum bum..." _Keiko sang as she sat Indian fashion over her trap door rocking side to side as if to be in an inappropriately timed euphoric state popping her jaw at the proper moments of her song.

"Damn it!" Yusuke growled. "What crackpot created this BLEEPING thing?" Yusuke stared at the puzzle with frustration.

"Ah geez." Kira sighed as he tapped his foot with his arms folded. "Yeah they know better than to put a Coordinator on the first platform. I would've BEEN done with the stupid puzzle!"

"Why are you Coordinators so smart?" One of the safetymen questioned.

"Genetic engineering." Kira answered.

"Wait, aren't test tube babies supposed to be like, retarded or something?" Brad, who was acting as a safetyman for the challenge, questioned.

"I am NOT a TEST TUBE BABY!" Kira bellowed.

"So you were born naturally?" The first safetymen inquired.

"No I was...grown in an...artificial womb." Kira answered half-heartedly.

"Then dude, you're a test tube baby." Brad chuckled.

"I AM NOT! Shut the BLEEP up!" Kira whined.

**Kira: Gundam Seed (Guys) Who the hell does he think he is? Just because I went to term inside a man-made artificial womb which just so happened to be cylindrical in shape after being conceived in a petri dish does NOT make me a BLEEPING test tube baby! *MUSED STARE* Wait...**

"30 seconds left!" Jonny announced.

"Man, BLEEP this!" Yusuke waved his hand toward his puzzle and instead decided to just fold his arms and wait for Kira's release. "This is bull BLEEP!"

"Are you giving up?" The judge questioned.

"On 150 points, yes. On 75 points, no." Yusuke confirmed as he sat by and waited for the part of the challenge which he could actually accomplish.

"Ah." The judge nodded.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) What, like I was going to stress myself out just for 75 extra points? Yeah right! Not like my team needed them anyway, we were already severely kicking the girls' asses. **

"Oh I can't do this." Botan sighed. "Okay Keiko, please try to fall slowly." Botan said to herself with a gulp.

"10, 9, 8..." Jonny began the countdown.

"Here it comes." Keiko sighed.

"Look at these idiots." Kira raised his hand tepidly toward the two struggling forms of Yusuke and Botan.

"5, 4, 3, 2..."

"Oh BLEEP!" Kira griped as he felt his trap door give way as he and Keiko began to fall toward the out of bounds line.

"Come on Yusuke!" Inuyasha yelled as he and the rest of the boys cheered on their teammate, who seemed to be making progress as he skillfully swung on his line toward Kira's falling body. Botan on the other hand...

"Botan, you can do it! Become one with the wind!" Cheza shouted.

"'Become one with the wind?'" Blue arched and eyebrow toward Kagome.

"I think it sounds very spiritual. And what are you looking at me for? She's _your _Flower girl!" Kagome huffed.

"Flower _maiden_!" Blue sternly corrected.

"Whatever." Kagome waved.

"Oh my God, she caught her!" Pan exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Hilde gasped as she and the rest of the girls turned to face the platforms to witness both Yusuke and Botan dangling with their teammates in tow, Botan struggling to maintain her grip on Keiko's belt.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I honestly didn't think that I would catch her. That truly was nothing short of a miracle!**

"Wow Botan, didn't think you had it in ya!" Keiko praised as she loosely hung in Botan's grasp.

"Gee...thanks!" Botan strained.

"Hey, Yusuke." Kira started as he wrapped his arms around Yusuke's neck.

"What?" Yusuke sighed.

"This feels, kinda...awkward." Kira studied his situation warily.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke questioned.

"Well, did you have to catch me...like, this?" Kira pointed as he squirmed in Yusuke's arms as the Spirit Detective was lowered to the ground.

"Like what?" Yusuke cocked his head.

"Like...this." Kira nodded towards his bridal style position in Yusuke's arms as the two of them were released from their safety cables.

"Awwwww." The girls teasingly crooned in their direction.

"Oh BLEEP." Yusuke immediately dropped Kira, causing the coordinator to fall straight onto his tailbone.

"Ah!" Kira yelped.

"Oops, sorry dude!" Yusuke apologized as he trotted away.

"Oh, my ass!" Kira groaned, rubbing his bottom to soothe the ache.

"Alright good job on both teams." Jonny commended. "Next up we have for the boys Kurama and Duo, and for the girls Flay and Bra. I'm sure that you guys know where you're supposed to go."

**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) Hmm, Flay and Bra paired up kinda made it hard to tell which one of them was meant to be the dumb one.**

"Wait where is Bra?" Jonny noticed that the blue-haired Saiyan Princess was missing.

"Not feeling well!" Pan quickly blurted. "Her stomach is…hurting…and she's throwing up. I think it's a bug or something. Really nasty." Pan finished with a guilty grin.

"Right. Whatever. You'll go in her place then." Jonny stated hastily, not in the mood to mince words with the girl.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Ok, I know it was a lie! But the only way we can't face disqualification is if one of our teammates falls ill and is unable to participate. Yes, I actually read the contract. I knew that we were far behind and couldn't afford to forfeit. So, it's really not that bad. Besides, they'll never find out about it. **_**LOOKS INTO CAMERA REALIZING**_** Oops. **_**SHOOTS ENERGY BLAST AT CAMERA SCREEN GOES BLACK**_

"Soo, am I on puzzle or trap door?" Flay questioned as she absently fiddled with the ends of her hair.

"Are you kidding?" Jonny started flatly. "You always were and still are on puzzle."

"So that means...you guys think...that I'm the smart one! Ha! I'm smarter than Bra!" Flay said in a sing-song voice.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) I KNEW it! Ya hear that Bra? I'm smarter than YOU! Take that, ya bitch!**

"Actually Flay-" Serena meekly started but was stopped by the feeling of Miriallia's hand on her shoulder.

"Just...let her be." Miriallia said plainly, shaking her head in pity for the poor little rich girl.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) Ignorance is bliss. And a blissful Flay is a quiet Flay. BELIEVE me.**

"Okay Flay, I'm going to explain the concept of solving the puzzle to you." The quiz judge started.

"'Kay!" Flay cocked her head to the side as if to be listening closely.

"This is called a Bisection puzzle..."

Flay stared at the quiz judge with an unreadable expression as he continued to explain how to solve the puzzle.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) Yeeeah, he totally lost me at the word **_**bisection**_**. **

"Did you get that?" The quiz judge finished.

"Oh yeah! Parts, mirrors, and 90 degree angles, I got it." Flay gave the judge two thumbs up as she headed over to the puzzle.

"Well actually, there aren't really...any...mirrors..." The judge trailed off as he noticed that he had already lost his pupil.

Jonny sounded his horn and before they knew it the round began.

Kurama and Pan stood on their respective platforms, watching their teammates intently from afar, Pan having less than no confidence in the other girl successfully solving the puzzle. Her eyes widened when she noticed that Flay seemed to be studying the puzzle sharply.

"Oh my God. She's ACTUALLY going to attempt to solve the puzzle? I'm doomed." Pan sighed helplessly.

"Duo seems to be doing rather well." Kurama stated quite impressed with his braided teammate.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Okay, I don't know where they got the idea that I was a dumbass, but the producers are actually the dumbasses for putting me on puzzle. I know I've got a boisterous, obnoxious, stereotypical American Anime character personality, but I'm also a BLEEPING Gundam pilot. My IQ's somewhere in the 150-160 bracket. Geez.**

"Done!" Duo hit his buzzer saving Kurama the fate of the trap door that rested under his feet.

"No BLEEPING way!" Ryoko gasped.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I knew that Duo was witty and had a thing for toilet humor, but who knew underneath that jackass persona lied an actual brain?**

On her own platform, Flay was still trying to figure out her puzzle. "Hmm, no can't do that. Mirror, mirror, AH MIRROR!" Just then Flay quickly retrieved her emergency compact from her pocket and flashed the mirror onto the figure in the puzzle.

"What the hell is she doing?" Pan shook her head in utter confusion.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Kurama furrowed his eyebrows, watching the girl closely.

"20 seconds!" Jonny called.

"Ah, I got it, I got it, I got it..." Flay then began to tamper with the puzzle more until something truly miraculous happened. "Done!"

"WHAT!?" Everyone chorused together. (A/N: Anime split screens and all, ^_^)

The quiz judge looked over Flay's shoulder to check her work and much to his own surprise gave Jonny the thumbs up to signal that she had actually solved the puzzle successfully and correctly earning 100 points for her team and 50 for herself.

"Oh yeah!" Flay did a little victory dance that mimicked the cabbage patch.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) ... (O_O)**

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ... (O_O)**

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) ... (O_O)**

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) ... (O_O)**

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) ... (O_O) WHAT THE BLEEP!**

"Oh my God, girls," Faye began, completely awestruck. "Do you know what this is?"

"A sign from God?" Cagalli answered in disbelief.

"YES! That is EXACTLY what this is!" Faye braced the other girl's shoulders excitedly. She then regarded the rest of her team.

"Ladies, we're going to win this challenge. And more to come." Faye spoke as if she were some sort of wise mystic.

"Oh whatever." Inuyasha growled as he overheard Faye's 'prediction.' However his protests were in vain as it turned out that her prediction was in fact true and the girls ended up owning the challenge for the day.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) When I showed my teammates the secret to solving that ridiculous puzzle, you know the thing with the mirror, it was butter. Make-up really is a girl's best friend.**

The inner circles had met for eliminations. The girls ended up deciding to eliminate Sally Po in their inner circle meeting. And the boys decided that Tsume had to go. This was mostly due to the fact that the grey wolf had fell out of his harness upon being released through the trap door as Koga was simply not fast enough with solving the puzzle or catching him. Bouncing off of the safety net and onto the pavement, everyone had to wince at the loud yelps that he let out upon breaking his right hind leg.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Yeah, poor Tsume didn't even have a chance to see the results. They had to rush him to the emergency...vet. You know. 'Cause he's actually a wolf, and not the toned, muscular tanned, Hot Topic model he masquerades as. He knew that it would cost him the competition. Didn't seem to care much, though. But then again, he does have a broken leg.**

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Honestly, when I heard Tsume yelp the way that he did, it made my skin crawl. It reminded me of when my dog got hit by a car. I was only 10 years old when that happened. PAUSE You know what's weird, when he yelped he was still in his human disguise. Yeah, that was just bizarre.**

**Tsume: Wolf's Rain (Guys) IN A KENNEL Okay, someone talk to the producers at MTV! This is insane! These stupid vets are holding me hostage in the kennel until I heal and then they're going to 'rescue' me and 'reintroduce' me into the wild. Are they BLEEPING brain-dead? I TOLD them what happened. TOLD them. Helloooo! A wolf was BLEEPING talking to you, veterinarians! Take a hint! I'm fine! GROWLS...LIKE A WOLF Kiba, when I get outta here, I'm kicking your ass! I know you're the one that suggested they take me to the vet you son of a bitch! VETS ENTER INTO KENNEL**

**Vet: ASPCA (Baby talk) Alright Tsume, it's time to take you out so you can make a poopy.**

**Tsume: I don't have to go.**

**Vet: Yes you do.**

**Tsume: No, I don't.**

**Vet: Would you do it for a **_**Beggin' Strip**_**?**

**Tsume: PAUSE Yes.**

**Vet: That's a good boy!**

**Tsume: MOUTHING Help me!**

"Alright that was some challenge." Jonny complimented. "Sachiya, the results please!"

"Yes the final total scores of the day are 28,370 for the girls and 43,940 for the boys. The winners of today's challenge and a VIP Voucher at a European Day Spa for their entire team, the ladies!" Sachiya announced and paused to give the girls their long-awaited screaming, jumping, and hugging moment. "Chibi Wolf Hero goes to...Flay?" Sachiya furrowed her brow and jumped when the other girl snatched the plushie from her hands.

"Thank you very much!" Flay perked as she grabbed the plushie as if it was hers to keep.

"Flay is there anyone that you'd like to...yeeeah, right...nevermind." Jonny didn't even bother asking Flay if she wanted to spare anyone with the Chibi Wolf Hero. Especially when she started glaring daggers into his direction for even beginning to ask such a ridiculous question.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I can't believe we actually lost...to BLEEPING Flay! Seriously?**

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) I personally can't even look my teammates in the eye anymore. They're a disgrace! Oh wait, we're still winning aren't we? I guess that's cool then.**

_**Celebrations in Starfish...**_

"Oh my God we won! We totally won!" Kagome screamed and hugged Sango and Aeka under her arms. "Aren't you guys excited?"

"Yes quite," Aeka strained under Kagome's embrace, "And I'd be even more excited if I had full use of my lungs."

"Really Kagome!" Sango groaned.

"Kagome, I think you're killing them!" Ayame giggled as she fiddled with her chestnut pigtails in excitement.

"Oh sorry, I'm just so excited! Ah!" Kagome ran upstairs to her room. She had friends back in Japan to pester via text message with news about her team's success.

"Pan, maybe you should go next door and make sure that your 'sweetie bear' is okay. I'm sure he's just heartbroken over this." Miriallia teased the shorter girl about her crush on Hiei, much to the other's chagrin.

"Ugh! Enough already!" Pan blushed.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) This is what I get for selecting 'truth' in truth or dare and then ACTUALLY telling the truth! Really, how would they have known if I lied? Stupid, stupid, stupid...**

Cagalli decided to turn on the radio and much to their surprise and pleasure "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child was playing on the radio. Those of them who knew the song couldn't help but sing along. Even those who were unfamiliar to the song couldn't help but dance along in victory.

The noise provoked Bra to finally come out of her room to spy on what exactly all the commotion was about. She barely missed bumping into Kagome once she stepped out. "Whoa! Kagome, what the hell is going on?"

"Bra, you should've been there!" Kagome started joyfully. "We won, we actually won another challenge!"

"After this sinfully long losing streak?" Bra couldn't believe it.

"YES!"

"Oh my GOD!" Bra squealed as she and Kagome jumped up and down in excitement.

"Ladies!" Faye called from downstairs getting her teammates' attention. "Today is a new day. From this point on, this competition WILL belong to us!" Raising up her bottle of beer as if to say cheers she took a swig as the girls continued their long-overdue celebration.

_**Silence in White Shore...**_

The boys' villa was completely silent. Eerily so. They could hear the noise from next door and it annoyed them...severely. No one made a sound, no one moved. Yusuke sat at the bar with his forehead resting on his knuckles. There was a moment of stillness save for the muffled sounds of Rihanna's "Hard" blaring from the girl's villa.

Yusuke let out an inaudible sigh before breaking the deafening silence. "So." He began flatly. "Nudie bar?" He wasn't surprised when a barrage of 'yeahs', 'let me get my jackets' and 'I'm up for thats' flooded the room followed by a crowd of males standing to their feet.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) What'd ya think we were gonna do, cry? Screw comfort food! T&A works wonders on depression. Really, I don't get why it hasn't been approved by the FDA yet. If I was on that decision committee it'd definitely get my vote. SMIRK**

Yusuke noticed that Hiei continued to sulk on the couch. "Hiei you sure you don't wanna tag along?"

"Hn. I have no interest in such activities." Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, besides, he wouldn't wanna break his 'girlfriend's' heart by looking at another chick's boobs!" Dearka teased.

"Girlfriend?" Yusuke arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah, " Yzak started, "You didn't know? He and Pan...inseparable!" Yzak chuckled earning a growl from Hiei.

"Fools! I have no ties whatsoever to that idiot girl!" And with that he stormed out of the villa and into the first transportation van.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) Ah l'amour. The little guy's absolutely hopeless!**

"Hey Kurama, ya coming?" Duo saw that the red-headed kitsune lagged behind.

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'd prefer to just sit here and revel in the peace and quiet of the empty villa." Kurama smiled.

"All by yourself?" Duo raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, you go ahead. Have fun. I'm sure I can find a good book to curl up with in your absence." Kurama assured.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Let me get this straight. The guy would rather sit at home and read than look at boobs? You guys sure he doesn't play for the other team? If you know what I mean. MAKES A SO-SO MOTION WITH HIS HAND I'm just saying. What the BLEEP.**

"Ookay, later dude!" Duo waved at the other as he and the rest of the team piled into the transportation vans and took off for their destinations.

Kurama watched them as they left with a smile. Retrieving his cell phone from his pocket he slid it open to reveal its keyboard portion and began manipulating the keypad. His smile widened once the chime went off. Viewing his screen and pleased with what was there, he closed the device and headed upstairs to his room.

Kurama waded through the cool waters of White Shore's pool. The temperature feeling good to his hot skin as the ruthless Florida heat failed to let up even as the sun was setting. Lying back he began to float so that he could get a better view of the sky as it began to change from a soft orange to a deep purple, a lukewarm breeze bathing his face as he basked in the weightless sensation of being in the water.

Suddenly he was taken out of his moment and found himself covered with a rush of water, causing him to sink under briefly taking more than desired amounts of chlorine-tinged pool water into his nose and mouth. Coughing as he stood he turned at the sound of a small, cute, and obviously female giggle.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Lacus covered her mouth as she laughed at the red-headed boy as he shook his wine-colored mane free of water, spraying her in the process. She instinctively raised her hands to act as a shield.

"That was pure evil." Kurama said teasingly earning an innocent shrug from the pink-haired pop diva. It was then that he noticed what she was wearing, the mere sight causing his mouth to become dry despite his being surrounded by water and extreme humidity. The beautiful songstress was clad in a hot pink and orange bikini. He noted the design by one cup of her strapless top being orange and the other hot-pink. Her bottoms then had a series of hot-pink, orange and lavender minced stripes. The cloth left little to the imagination, but then again, he had already seen the top half due to a rather bold game strategy on her part.

"You know, you're quite adorable when you're surprised, Kurama." Lacus teased as she waded behind him in the shallow end.

"I don't suppose there are less disconcerting ways to surprise me?" Kurama stated plainly as he turned to keep a close eye on the girl. Suddenly he felt something soft and moist rest upon his cheek momentarily and then retreat.

_**I wanna kiss you, but if I do then I might miss you babe... **_

She had kissed him ever so softly. His eyes widened at the gesture, his hand raising to caress the area where her lips had just been.

_**...It's complicated and stupid, got my ass squeezed by sexy cupid, guess he wants to play, wants to play, a love game, a love game...**_

Looking deeply into his emerald eyes she spoke softly, "I don't suppose there are, Kurama." She held his gaze for a moment before springing her feet from the pool's bottom and taking off into a swim toward the deeper end of the pool.

Kurama did nothing but stare at her for a spell before his lips curved into a small smirk and he followed behind her. He knew this cat and mouse game all too well. Youko himself had played it many times in his day with objects of his 'special' interests. However, that didn't mean that he was any less inclined to play along. If Lacus wanted to play games, then he would play right along.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I don't mean to gloat, but Lacus honestly has no idea who she is dealing with, here. LICKS HIS LIPS ABSENTLY None.**

_**...Let's play a love game, play a love game, do you want love or you want fame are you in the game?**_

A/N: Hmmm, what is going on here? What have Lacus and Kurama been up to exactly? What weird plot devices do I have cooking up in this brain of mine? How happy am I that I was able to reanimate my computer and get all of these files back? I'll tell you how happy. VERY! In fact, I'm ecstatic. I hope you're as thrilled to dive back into this story and finally reach the end as I am. Please don't forget to review, I'm actually quite curious due to this chapter's length. Oh wait, I forgot, this story was senseless and informal from the beginning. In that case, just enjoy and until next time...^_^


	15. Frozen Solid

A/N: Welcome! And look it's Chapter 15 (or episode 15 whichever you think sounds better, lol), and it's posted ON TIME! It's a bloody miracle! I must say that the completion of this story has been looming over my head ever since I hit that hump back in 2006. Seriously, it was keeping me up at night. Being the perfectionist that I am, I don't like leaving anything unfinished. So I decided to go nuts and seriously worked like a mad woman to get most of these chapters pre-written. Seriously, you should've seen me, I was like a machine! And it's all for your reading pleasure! I must warn you however, my determination also birthed some looooong chapters! So yeah, get comfortable, because you're gonna be here for a minute. Enjoy!

**Song Disclaimers: **"Stupid girl" by Cold; "LOL :-)" by Trey Songz; "I'm Every Woman" by Whitney Houston (Original by Chaka Khan)

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 15: Frozen Solid**

_**White Shore 0253 Hours...**_

"I thought strip clubs were supposed to have 'hot' women." Yusuke groaned as he and the rest of his male teammates filed into the front entrance of their villa. They had spent all night in a gentlemen's club and were all quite disappointed by the...entertainment. They had tried for several after parties but found them to be lame beyond words and eventually gave up their search for competent nightlife activities. Thus they decided upon an earlier than usual return to White Shore.

"Honestly!" Yzak snipped. "Was anyone able to identify at least ONE woman that was aesthetically acceptable?" He tossed his jacket on the stool by the door.

"I think they were hiding beneath the infinite mounds of cellulite." Dearka responded flatly. "See, this is why I stick to Coordinator-owned clubs. The chicks there have perfect, in-tact, genetically engineered, bodies."

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I'm just saying, if you're gonna be a stripper, at least have the decency to get a tummy tuck and invest in shea butter for your abundance of grotesque stretch marks. No one wants to see that BLEEP flapping around to Rob Zombie. Save it for his movies!**

"I think it's because it's a Thursday." Spike yawned. He too was less than pleased with the club. "At least they made good Jäger Bombs."

"SHH!" Duo suddenly stopped in his tracks, raising his finger to his lips as he quickly hushed his teammates. He reacted as if he had seen a ghost, which put the rest of his team on immediate high alert.

"What is it?" Inuyasha questioned in a whisper as he began to scan the hallway for signs of abnormalities or unwelcome visitors.

Duo, keeping one finger to his lips, then fervently pointed into the direction of the den with his free hand.

"What's going on?" Athrun questioned quietly as he crept up behind the braided boy to follow his line of sight.

Suddenly, Duo found himself crowded by his entire team as all of them looked into the direction where he was pointing, and they all took inaudible gasps at what they saw.

"What the..." Ed trailed as his eyes slowly widened.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) Well. That...was incredibly awkward. (O_o)**

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ...(O_O) Uh-oh.**

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) *UNREADABLE STARE* Yeeeah...**

Yusuke held in a breath as his brain tried to process the display that was before him. There they were, Kurama and Lacus, cuddled in an ever so snug embrace under a single terry cloth robe on the huge plush couch, dressed in their swimwear and sleeping quite soundly. Kurama embraced the girl from behind as the pink-haired pop diva let out shallow breaths in her unconscious state. The situation was generally innocent, however, from the way the two where positioned under the robe, it appeared as if they were nude. The clothing sprawled about the floor from where they changed into their swimming gear and the fact that the top to Lacus' bikini was strapless did not help appearances in the least. Therefore, in the eyes of the boys, the two did more than merely take a nap.

None of them could speak. None of them knew what to say. All they could do was stare, eyes widened and mouths gaping at the sight before them. And so, they did what most males do when they find themselves faced with a dramatic situation that would demand an adequate emotional response.

"Wow, look at the time! Guess I'd better hit the sack!" Dearka quickly blurted as he feigned a glance at his watch and did an awkward combination of a walk and run toward the steps. His outburst was quite infectious as all of the boys then scattered nervously, each murmuring something about 'getting some sleep' 'a long day' and being 'past their bedtime.'

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Let me explain something to ya, and how we men reason in sticky situations like this. You see, if this thing got to a point where we started dissecting it, two things would happen. 1) Kira would start getting pissed at Kurama because Lacus is technically his ex-girlfriend at the moment. It's a total Bro Code violation and well, we can't afford to have dissension in the ranks. 2) I know of at least two chicks next door that have been eying Kurama, one of which has been subtlely doing so since she met him, and that's Botan. Flay is another one that I've caught giving Kurama the googlies since this competition started. Any other time I'd be up for the bitch fights, but that would put Kurama in the middle. And being that he's basically one of our MVPs, we can't afford to have him distracted with bullBLEEP. So yeah, we're totally gonna act like we didn't see a DAMN thing and know NOTHING! And that includes YOU producers. Do NOT BLEEP this up! I will HURT you!**

_**An hour later...**_

The alarm on Lacus' cellphone sounded causing the two sleeping individuals in the den to stir. Eyes fluttering open to reveal her aqua gray orbs, Lacus reached down onto the floor to turn off the chirping device. Sitting up, she allowed the cloth of Kurama's robe to slide down onto her lap, revealing the strapless top to her bikini and the hot pink tie around she wore over her lower half. She stood to her feet then, stretching sleepily as she did and turned to meet eyes with the red-haired boy on the couch. He smiled at her sweetly before speaking.

"You fell asleep on me." He spoke jokingly.

"No, I was listening to you. I was just resting my eyes." She winked at him.

"I see. Then what was the last thing that I said to you as you were 'resting your eyes.'" Kurama made float quotations for the last portion of his sentence.

Lacus pursed her lips as she tried to recall their conversation from a few hours earlier. "Hmm, you said...sweet dreams sleeping beauty." Lacus responded with a sheepish grin.

"Liar." Kurama smirked. "Not that you aren't quite beautiful when you sleep." Kurama added softly.

"Oh stop." Lacus sighed playfully. "It was a long day, I guess that I was more tired than I suspected."

"Well, your phone went off. Which means that the rest of my roommates will be back here in another hour or so from their amorous adventures." Kurama rolled his eyes as he stood to his feet.

"Yes. I'll just," Lacus bent down to gather her clothing, "change and be on my way then. The last thing I need is an uncomfortable run in with 'the enemy.'" She made her way for the bathroom across the room and Kurama heard her shut the door behind her.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I guess you could say that we've been seizing any opportunity to have times of normalcy whenever we can. Our teammates have turned this game into a gruesome battle, and being that as of late we're basically the only sensible ones on either side, we enjoy spending time together not talking about the competition or colorful means at destroying one another. Sometimes, one needs a break from the hostility. Just simple, peaceful, innocent conversation. And Lacus is a beautiful person. Both inside and out. I enjoy spending time with her.**

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) It's really a shame that we have to keep these little rendezvous secret from our teammates. I for one know that if my team found out, they would label me a traitor and treat me as if I were the village leper. But this is the way I see it, Kurama is a really nice guy. He was even nice enough to tell me that during my experience with the nightmare that was Eiri Yuki, his teammates took the liberty of using my pain as comic relief. *SCARY FROWN* Which REMINDS me! *STEAM COMES OUT OF EARS***

Lacus finally exited the bathroom dressed in a simple white sundress that fell above her knees and pink thong sandals. "I'll be leaving now. Thank you for having me."

"Anytime." Kurama thought about his statement for a moment. "That is...anytime that my roommates are not here." He smiled innocently generating a quiet giggle from Lacus. The pink-haired girl turned on her heels then and headed for the front door, Kurama following close behind.

The two stood in front of the door for a moment, each staring into the other's eyes. Lacus then brought him into a warm hug, landing a quick peck onto his cheek before breaking contact and exiting the boys' villa. "Goodnight."

"Good morning." Kurama replied jovially, causing a smile to form upon her lips. Shutting the door behind her, he leaned his forehead dreamily against its cool wooden surface, absently reminiscing about the night's events. From swimming to falling asleep talking in the den, it was truly a night of good non-hostile fun and he looked forward to a moment when they could do so again.

Unbeknownst to Kurama, however, his movements were being watched the entire time. Sitting at the top of the steps, looking much like a child spying on his parents in the middle of a private conversation, Kira peered through the balcony bars, the expression on his face blank and unreadable.

_**...I can't take this. Born to break this...**_

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Hmm, let's see. Kill the backstabbing teammate and jeopardize our chances of winning 50k or ignore the backstabbing teammate and let him run around behind my back with my girl. Decisions, decisions. Yeah, in case you didn't notice, I'm a little pissed off. *STARES AT CAMERA PSYCHOTICALLY***

_**...She's going away. She's going away. What's wrong with my life today? STUPID GIRL!**_

_**Early morning in Starfish...**_

The soft white rays of the sun crept into Lacus and Cagalli's bedroom, washing over the blonde's form causing her to slowly awaken. Opening her eyes halfway she peered across the room to notice that her pink-haired roommate sat up on her own bed, knees propped up as she stared at her cellphone eagerly. Hearing the soft vibration of the device, she watched as the other girl let out a soft chuckle and began to fiddle with her keypad. She was texting. Cagalli pulled her own cellphone from underneath her pillow and viewed the screen to see that it read: FRIDAY, 6:32AM. "What the..." Cagalli said under her breath.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) Who the hell texts at 6:30 in the frickin' morning? Okay seriously, if you do this, get help! (A/N: No really, get help. That's insane. -_-)**

"Lacus?" Cagalli winced at the sound of her tired voice.

"Oh, good morning Cagalli." Lacus answered cheerily.

"Lacus, how long have you been up?" Cagalli questioned drowsily.

"A while now." Lacus replied, letting out another chuckle as she continued to type on her cellphone's keypad.

Cagalli stared at the girl for a moment observing her behavior before deciding to speak again. "It's 6:33." Cagalli sounded irritated. She truly wasn't a morning person.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Lacus turned to the girl then, quite sincere.

"No." Cagalli groaned. Far too tired to discuss Lacus' early bird routine any further, she buried her head under her comforter fully intent on getting at least another hour of sleep.

Lacus took this as her cue to leave the other girl alone in their room until she was completely ready to carpe diem. Rising from her bed, she slid into her slippers, donned her robe, and quietly made her exit from the bedroom. Continuing to text on her cellphone she made her way down the steps to head for the kitchen on the first floor. Walking down the set of stairs that lead to the second floor she continued toward the set that lead to the first floor not taking her eyes from the screen of her cellphone. Finally walking from the last set of stairs she began to venture toward the kitchen, unfortunately bumping into a certain blue-haired deity we all know and love on the way, sending her cellphone flying across the floor.

"Ow!" Botan yelped as she and the pink-haired girl collided heads.

"Ooh!" Lacus massaged her cranium from the sting of the collision. "I'm sorry Botan. I wasn't paying attention."

"Ah," Botan hissed as she palmed her forehead. "Lacus? You're not usually up this early. Is everything okay?" Botan asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Oh yes, I'm fine. Well, my head hurts a little now, but I assure you that I'm okay." Lacus smiled.

"Yes. Your head is harder than it looks!" Botan chuckled as she made a beeline for the kitchen. Opening the freezer, she reached for the ice tray. Lacus, knowing what she was trying to do, then grabbed a couple of dishtowels from the drawer and helped the other girl with the makeshift ice packs.

"What happened?" Miriallia called as she walked down the stairs. She was heading for the first floor bathroom because she liked its king size tub. She noticed as Botan and Lacus both held the ice-filled towels onto their craniums.

"Oh, we had a bit of a...head-on collision." Botan exclaimed.

"Are you o-" Miriallia was cut off by the faint sounds of a cellphone vibrating on the carpeted portion of the living room floor. Bending down to pick it up, her eyes widened at the message from Kurama that rested on the screen.

_**...Shawty just text me, said she wanna sex me, LOL smiley face, LOL smiley face... **_

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) Today, I learned that there actually IS a such thing as accidentally reading someone's text messages. Who knew? (O_o)**

"Yes, we're fine." Lacus answered her as she returned the ice tray to the freezer.

Miriallia quickly darted further into the living area to get out of the other girls' sight. Feeling secure in that she was out of Lacus and Botan's line of sight, Miriallia hurriedly searched for a safe place to put the singer's cellphone where she could easily find it, yet none of the other teammates could see it. She appeared to be a frightened hen running from a butcher as she scattered about the living area searching for a safe location.

"So why are you up so early?" Came Botan's voice as she fixed herself a bowl of cereal.

"Uhh...I was gonna use...the bathroom." Miriallia let out nervously as she sat the cellphone on the coffee table but deciding against that location picked up the device and continued her hasty search.

"But there's a bathroom on the third floor. It's right across from your room." Lacus questioned as she made herself a bagel.

"Y-yeah. I know. But I...like the bathroom on the first floor. Bigger tub." Miriallia quickly rushed toward the kitchen on her knees so that the other girls could not see her over the bar counter. Finally deciding that the best place for the phone would be as close to Lacus as possible, she placed it under a barstool on the hard wood floor, silently praying that Kurama would send another text message causing the device to vibrate and alert its owner. Releasing a sigh of relief, she almost screamed when her prayers were answered faster than she would have liked and the phone vibrated once more, the hard wood floors amplifying the sound significantly. Scrambling on her knees toward the bathroom, she could only hope that Lacus would immediately pick her phone up and not the other girl.

_**...Shawty sent a twitpic, sayin' 'come get this.' LOL smiley face, LOL smiley face...**_

"What's that?" Botan questioned.

"Ah, my phone!" Lacus stood to her feet and followed the sound. Seeing her phone on the ground she retrieved it and read the message on its screen, smiling sweetly before returning the device to the pocket of her robe.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) How can I explain the seriousness of this? Ah! Okay! Aside from Lacus sort of going out with Kira and the prospect of causing drama to rise between them from this, Kurama is like...the Zac Efron of this competition. Yes, he's on the opposing side and you hate him for his goody-two shoes personality and ability to severely wound your scores, but secretly you want to marry him and bear his children. At least I know of a few girls in this house that do. Botan, Flay, and Yukina to an extent. Although I think hers came mostly from that whole 'love spell' ordeal. For example:**

_**Sometime after Laser Tag...**_

_"What do you suppose Kurama's motivation was for choosing me?" Yukina questioned Miriallia._

_"I don't know, Yukina. You know him better than I do." Miriallia answered._

_"Hmm..." Yukina mused._

_"...Keiko do you find Kurama handsome?" Yukina questioned innocently._

_"Yeah, he's a good looking guy." Keiko answered. "Why?" She cocked her eye knowingly._

_"Oh, no reason..." _

_**During Rainy Days and OMGWTF Discoveries...**_

_"Hmm, it's interesting that there are so many...ahem...interesting fan stories about me and Kurama, don't you think Keiko?" Yukina mused._

_"Yeah. That _is_ a little strange." Keiko giggled._

_"Why is it strange? Do you think it is an impossibility?" Yukina questioned innocently._

_"Well...uhh...no I...guess not. Wait, why do you care anyway?" Keiko furrowed her eyebrows._

_"Who's next for a round in Uno?" Sally chimed._

_"I would like to play!" Yukina volunteered as she quickly abandoned Keiko as well as their conversation…_

_**Sometime after Strip Jeopardy...**_

_"I hope Kurama is okay. He didn't appear well." Yukina looked concerned._

_"You know what sister," Pan started, "You sure do talk about that guy a lot." She teased._

_"He is my friend. I know we are competing, but I don't want anything to happen to him." Yukina explained._

_"Uh-huh." Pan replied flatly with an arched eyebrow._

_**Back to the Present...**_

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) If ANY of these girls find out that Kurama's been sneaking around with Lacus, the drama would rival that of a daytime soap opera. Especially if Flay found out. And I don't even want to think how Kira would react if he were to find out. I'm sure he'd be very hurt. I personally hate drama so yeah, I'm gonna...keep my mouth shut.**

_**...Shawty sent a twitpic, sayin' 'come get this.' LOL smiley face, LOL smiley face**_

"How do you know this?" Botan and Lacus were conversing casually as they sat down to breakfast in the kitchen.

"I heard it from...an inside source." Lacus answered as she sipped her orange juice.

"That's terrible! How could they do that?" Botan shook her head. Noticing the look on the other girl's face she began to blush sheepishly. "Right. Of course. I suppose the better question is 'how could they not.'"

"Precisely." Lacus chewed over her bagel. Swallowing she sat still for a moment before speaking once more. "I want to get them back."

"What?" Botan was shocked.

"Nothing major or outrageous. I want to do it in a subtle manner. I want them to pay for making fun of me when I was in pain." Lacus spoke darkly.

"Hmm, I can understand why you'd be upset but, don't you think that revenge is a little...extreme?" Botan gulped.

"Yes. Perhaps you're right. I just wish that there were a way for them to feel what I felt. Wouldn't it be wonderful if guys could somehow feel what we girls feel? They say we're irrational and overtly emotional and twice as much when we have our 'girl time.' But if there were a way for them to feel what we go through, I'm confident that they would be more sensitive to issues that affect us. I suppose one can dream." Lacus sighed.

As Lacus spoke, Botan could feel herself getting an idea. She knew that the idea was scandalous, and Koenma would probably have her on office duty for a thousand years as punishment if he were to ever find out about it, but she couldn't pass this opportunity up.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I had a very, very, VERY BAD idea. So, naturally, I pursued it further. *EVIL GRIN***

"Lacus." Botan started.

"Yes." Lacus sighed.

"I have...a really bad idea." Botan exclaimed.

Pausing for a moment to look at the other girl, Lacus turned to face her entirely. "I'm listening."

_**White Shore 0857 Hours**_

Yusuke paced back and forth in the kitchen as he sipped his coffee. He tried adamantly to erase the memory of what he and the rest of his teammates had seen a few hours prior, but to no avail. It was etched onto his memory forever, and he knew that if it was burned into his memory bank, that a certain brown-haired Coordinator shared the same torment.

"Wow, this is BLEEPED up." Yusuke whispered to himself as he perched himself upon a barstool and continued to sip his coffee.

"What's BLEEPED up?" Kiba entered into the kitchen, hearing Yusuke's nervous mumbling.

"You know. That _thing_?" Yusuke nodded toward the white wolf.

"What _thing_?" Kiba furrowed his eyebrows.

"Dude, the _thing_ we walked in on. In the den? With Kurama?" Yusuke reminded him.

"Oh right. Yeah, why is that BLEEPED up again?" Kiba cocked his head to the side, looking much like a confused canine witnessing something unusual.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) You would think that after all this time I've spent around these humans witnessing their ridiculous drama and whatever the hell else, that I would finally be able to understand them better. Unfortunately, I find myself being even more confused than I was to begin with. (-_-)**

"Oh I dunno, maybe because Lacus is Kira's ex-girlfriend?" Yusuke stared at Kiba and noticed that the issue was totally going over the wolf's head. And so he decided to drop it. "Never mind, man." Yusuke sighed.

"Good morning fellas!" Came Duo's cheery voice as he marched down the stairs and headed for the kitchen, his sights set directly on the fridge. He browsed through the contents of the large compartment only to discover that there was nothing worth consuming. "Yogurt, fruit, _V8 Strawberry Banana Smoothie_? Okay, I'm not opposed to eating healthy, BUT...as men I think we're entitled to bacon at breakfast. It's like our birthright. That's all I'm saying." Duo grumbled as he disconcertedly shut the refrigerator door.

"Hmph, no arguments here." Yusuke groaned. "Why do you think I've got this coffee? It's the only thing here that'll at least get my engine pumping at half-capacity."

"Morning!" Ed greeted as he entered into the kitchen, followed by Hige, Athrun, Yzak and Dearka. "So guys, what's for breakfast?" Ed leaned over the counter eagerly.

"Queer cuisine." Duo answered flatly.

"What?" Hige frowned.

"These are your choices," Duo began as he reopened the fridge, "bagels n' cream cheese, yogurt, fruit, toast n' jam, with a side of smoothies, juice or milk. What'll be men?"

"That's all?" Athrun griped. "I thought the crew for MTV was supposed to keep the fridge stocked with...you know..."

"Carnivorous delights suitable for those with y chromosomes?" Duo finished.

"Yeah." Athrun folded his arms, appearing much like a pouting child.

"I can't eat this crap! I'm a wolf, I need MEAT!" Hige growled.

"I think there's some _Alpo_ meant specifically for you wolves under the sink. Ya know in case of an emergency." Yusuke teased.

"Nah, that stuff gives me gas." Hige waved.

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I don't know what the hell **_**Alpo**_** puts in their canned dog food, but that crap totally BLEEPS up my digestive system. Usually my farts are voluntary, but with that stuff, gas releasage is completely beyond my control. **

Suddenly Kiba caught a scent in the air. An aroma that was quite deliciously haunting. "You smell that?" Kiba began sniffing the air.

Yusuke raised his nose to the air, the scent catching his nostrils and intoxicating him rather thoroughly. "Yesss." Yusuke stated dreamily.

The smell drew all of the guys out of their rooms to crowd the balconies and the bottom of the steps as they lightly scented the air. "It's..." Kuwabara started.

"BACON!" All of the guys chorused as they rushed for the door intent on following the source of the smell.

_**Cooking in Starfish...**_

"Here's another batch!" Botan called to Keiko as she lifted the sizzling skillet of bacon strips from the stove.

"Got it!" Keiko answered as she took the large plate of bacon and added the freshly cooked strips onto them. She then walked towards the counter to sit the plate next to five others that were filled to the rim with loads upon loads of bacon.

"Wow, this is quite an amount!" Lacus observed.

"You don't think it's too much do you?" Kagome questioned as she watched Botan return to the stove to start on the next batch.

"Nonsense!" Botan answered. "When it comes to men, there's never a such thing as too much bacon."

Faye, who was stirring a bowl filled with the 'special ingredient,' joined Botan at the stove. "And that's what's gonna be their downfall." Faye stated darkly.

"Bingo!" Botan chimed as she took a tablespoon and dipped it into the bowl to scoop out a generous amount of the 'special ingredient' and sprinkle it over the bacon, causing the skillet to sizzle even more severely as she did.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Lacus told me about the boys' little time spent exchanging jokes at her expense. I myself as well as the rest of my team have noticed how insensitive the boys have been during this competition. And so we thought it was hard time they went through some rigorous sensitivity training. With the help of Yukina, Aeka, and myself, we were able to combine a special Spirit World plant with an herb of Jurai, along with some Human World and Makai herbs, to create an 'estrogen potion' of sorts. Throw in a little magic and the potion is much more potent and effective. It was time for the boys to learn a valuable lesson on being a girl. *EVIL SMIRK***

"So how long do you think before they'll be here?" Julia questioned as she whisked a large bowl of eggs. Just then came a large banging noise on their front door.

"I don't think it'll be much longer." Pan winked an eye as she poured batter into the waffle iron.

"I'll get it!" Cagalli called as she all but skipped to the door. Opening it, she tried her best not to burst into laughter as she pretended to act surprised at seeing all of the boys crowded in front of the door. "Well good morning boys! What brings you here on this beautiful morning?" Cagalli batted her eyelashes trying to appear as innocent as possible.

"BACON!" Hige charged through the crowd of boys in his wolf form. Barging past Cagalli and further into the girls' villa, he headed towards the kitchen. "Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, BACON!" He chanted as he slid into the kitchen, his claws making a sliding sound on the wooded floors as he hopped around looking much like an excited family pet hoping to get his share of the meal.

"Easy there, boy!" Keiko held up a finger as she held a large plate of freshly cooked bacon in one hand.

"I WANT BACON!" Hige panted as he continued to bounce around excitedly.

"First," Keiko looked at the chubby wolf deviously. "Sit."

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I know what you're thinking. "What a sell-out! Where's your wolf pride?" right? Well, I'll tell you were it is, digesting happily in my stomach. I may be a sell-out, but this sell-out got BACON! And LOTS of it! *HUGE GRIN* **

Hige, placing all of his pride aside as a wolf, did as requested as sat down like 'a good dog.' "BACON!"

"Okay, here ya go!" Keiko sat the entire plate down for the wolf to consume, and he did so greedily.

"Hey that's not fair! I'm the alpha wolf, I should get fed first!" Kiba growled as he abandoned his human disguise and charged toward Hige in full wolf form pushing the chubby wolf away from his plate of bacon, generating an antagonizing growl from him as he did. The two wolves then took on a fighting stance, growling rather menacingly.

"No fighting!" Cheza ordered as she approached both wolves with another plate full of bacon. "There is enough for all of you." And with a gentle pet on Kiba's head she sat the plate of bacon down in front of him and the white wolf began to ravish its contents.

"You two are such an embarrassment to our kind." Blue released an exasperated sigh as she gingerly ate over her own plate of bacon in her human form.

"Who else would like some?" Faye announced, not surprised when all of the guys chorused 'me,' raising their hands as if to be in school.

"I'll have ten!" Inuyasha announced as he presented a plate to Faye.

"Would you guys like some eggs to go with that?" Julia questioned, earning fervent nods from the salivating boys.

"Eggs are good, but don't skimp on the bacon!" Goten drooled.

"How about some waffles?" Pan added, and was rewarded with eager smiles and nods.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) I know. We're evil. But really, if you're just now figuring that out, then I question your intelligence.**

The boys all gathered around the kitchen counters filling their plates with loads of bacon, waffles and eggs. They didn't even think for a moment that they were dining with the enemy. At that moment all that mattered was bacon. They would worry themselves with the details later.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) We knew they were the enemy, but let's face the facts here. We're still insanely ahead in this competition. The way things are now, the chances of the girls catching up to us are slim to none. So hey, we could sacrifice going behind enemy lines for some bacon. I mean come on...it's BACON!**

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) BACON!**

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) BACON!**

**All of the Boys: (Guys) BACOOOOOOON! GO MEAT!**

Lacus noticed Kurama heading toward the counter to fill his plate with some of the bacon that rested there and she quickly rushed over to stop him. "Hey! Kurama!" She approached the boy, trying to act as innocent and natural as possible.

"Oh good morning Lacus." Kurama smiled his usual sweet smile.

"Listen, why don't you eat some of _my_ bacon. I made it for you especially." Lacus held up a plate of bacon that she prepared. She looked into his eyes intensely, hoping to send him the signal that eating the 'other' bacon would be a very bad idea.

"How sweet of you. It looks absolutely delicious." Kurama didn't seem to get her silent message, but much to her relief chose to eat her bacon instead. Taking a bite he reveled in its delightful taste. "This is heavenly." He complimented.

"Thank you! Here, take the whole thing!" And with that Lacus rushed off to assist the other girls with preparing their own 'untainted' meals, leaving a slightly confused Kurama alone with a plate full of bacon. Shrugging, he simply brushed off her strange behavior as being overwhelmed with the now crowded villa and continued to eat the bacon that she gave him.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) Well of course I wasn't going to let **_**him**_** eat the 'special' bacon. Kurama is generally very nice to my team and me. He's been this way from the beginning for the most part. Besides, I think that we can all agree that he doesn't need to get in touch with his feminine side any further. (O_O)**

"So big brother, how's your breakfast?" Bra questioned her older brother Trunks as he scarfed down his meal. She herself having only gotten eggs and waffles.

"It's delicious. At least I know _you_ didn't cook it." Trunks teased his younger sibling.

"Ha, ha." Bra rolled her eyes. "Just eat, you."

"Hiei, are you enjoying your meal?" Yukina asked the Fire Demon innocently.

He picked over his bacon suspiciously, sniffing it before pulling it away to stare at it closely.

"Is there something wrong?" Yukina questioned softly.

"I've never had bacon before." Hiei answered flatly.

"You don't want it?" Yukina was a little worried though she kept it hidden rather well.

"I do. It just smells different." Hiei replied simply.

"Does it smell bad?" Yukina began to fiddle with the fabric of her pink skort nervously. She released an inaudible sigh of relief once Hiei took a bite of the bacon and deciding that he liked the taste, continued to eat everything that was on his plate.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Hiei can be very skeptical. I was worried that he wouldn't eat the bacon. But he did. In fact, the few of them that we were worried would be the most difficult to coax into eating the food such as Sesshomaru, Wufei, and Yzak were all partaking in the feast. Our objective was complete. Now all we had to do was wait.**

The girls' Nokia cell phone went off alerting them of their next challenge. Serena, who was wolfing down her second waffle, reached for the device and proceeded to gain the attention of everyone in the villa. "Everyone! Listen! We got a text message!" Her announcement caused the entire villa to become still with silence.

"What's it say, blondie?" Ryoko walked up beside the girl downing a cup of coffee.

"It says...It's time to chill on the beach. Do you have the endurance to outlast your fellow teammates? Come dressed in swimwear and be ready to leave the villas at 11am sharp!" Serena read the text message aloud for all to hear.

"Chill on the beach, eh?" Yusuke rubbed his chin. "Any other time that would sound awesome, but coming from them it just makes me nervous."

"Well we've got a couple of hours, so everyone hurry up and finish your breakfast so that we can be ready for the next challenge!" Faye said with a mouth full of waffles.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Perfect. By the time the challenge started, the boys would be completely under the influence of estrogen. I am SO loving this! All hail the male need for and love of bacon! *DEVILISH GRIN***

_**...I'm every woman, it's all in me. Anything you want done baby, I'll do it naturally. Whoa, whoa, whoa.**_

_**Eleventh Challenge: Frozen Solid**_

They could hear the soothing ambience of the Atlantic Ocean beating against the shore. The faint sounds of sea gulls calling in the distance as well as the fleeting scent of the sea that lingered in the air all set the atmosphere for a calming day on the beach. The anticipated rain for later on that night caused the sky to be filled with an overcast that shielded the sun from the earth making the temperature much cooler than it was the previous day. It was obvious today that the producers arranged the challenges according to the weather. They were quite cruel, indeed.

There, standing barefoot on the sandy beach in front of a large rock in a green Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts was Jonny. Next to him was Sachiya who donned a simple pink Hawaiian print sundress that fell above her knees. They both smirked as they saw the challengers approaching in full swimwear from the distance.

Wufei groaned under his breath as he and the rest of his team walked toward Jonny and Sachiya's location. The Chinese boy was feeling strange for some inexplicable reason. His demeanor caught the attention of Heero who walked beside him.

"Something wrong?" Heero questioned his teammate.

"Actually," Wufei started hesitantly, "this is going to sound very odd."

"What?" Heero coaxed.

"Well," Wufei leaned in closer to the other boy to whisper into his ear, "it's...my nipples."

Heero's eyes widened. "What about them?"

"They're...tender. That's not normal is it?" Wufei stated in a worried tone.

"I...don't know." Heero swallowed. The conversation was making him uncomfortable.

"Everytime I touch them it hurts." Wufei groaned.

"Ugh, then stop touching them. I'm not a doctor you know!" Heero replied curtly.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) He didn't have to be rude about it. I was just asking a question. I mean, it was bothering me. I've never had that problem before so of course I'm going to be worried. Heero can be so insensitive sometimes. *AWKARD PAUSE* Did...that actually just come out of my mouth?**

"Welcome challengers! What a beautiful sunless day it is, wouldn't you agree Sachiya?" Jonny regarded his co-host.

"Why yes Jonny, but not half as beautiful as my little snuggle bunny, Hiei!" Sachiya winked at the Fire Demon.

"Ugh, do you ever quit?" Hiei suddenly snapped. "Do the words 'sexual' and 'harassment' mean anything to you?"

"Hiei?" Sachiya's eyes widened at his outburst.

"I don't have to tolerate this! I am not just a piece of meat! I have more worth than your demeaning, misandric comments!" Hiei placed his hands on his hips.

"You go boy!" Dearka shouted as he snapped his fingers. Clearing his throat, he decided to straighten up and rephrase his statement. "I mean, put that chick in her place. Dude."

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Sometimes you just have to tell them up front what you will and will not stand for. It's the only way that they'll respect you. Am I right women? *CONFUSED FROWN* Wait...**

Jonny and Sachiya could only stare at the Fire Demon as if he had sprouted an extra limb from his forehead. The sounds of the girls' barely audible giggles let the lead host know that something was definitely up.

"Oh my god! WHY are you just standing there?" Trunks finally blurted, sounding much like his younger sister, Bra as he did so.

"What?" Jonny turned to face the half-Saiyan.

Trunks cocked his right leg out and placed his hand on his right hip as he spoke, turning his neck unconsciously on every syllable as he did so. "I'm just saying, we came here to do a challenge, and I'd like to get it over with! I've got a freaking headache!"

Jonny stared at the boy blankly for a spell before speaking. "Ookay, I'm not gonna ask. Before we get started, I'm gonna need all of the boys to change out of their swim trunks and into these." Jonny bent down and grabbed a small piece of red cloth from a box that sat at his feet. The item generated a bunch of giggles that filtered throughout the girls' team.

"Are you serious?" Flay chuckled.

"Are those speedos?" Athrun furrowed his eyebrows.

"That's exactly what they are." Jonny smiled.

"Why the hell do we have to wear speedos?" Duo looked mortified.

"This is why." Jonny started, drawing their attention to Sachiya. The purple-haired girl then unveiled a large wooden sleigh with several rows available for sitting. "If you'll look inside the sleigh before you, you'll notice that the seats and floor are completely covered in 8 inch thick blocks of ice."

"Oh no." Yusuke sighed as he rested his forehead into the palm of his hand.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) CHILL on the beach. Ya get it now?**

"That's right, welcome to your eleventh challenge _Frozen Solid_. You will compete all at once at sitting on these blocks of ice in your swimwear with your arms raised above your heads. Men, you will wear speedos to even out the contact of the ice with your body in comparison to the women. Your endurance is tested in this challenge, as the object is to see who can last the longest without faltering at the pain of the ice. Every minute is worth 10 points to your team score and 5 points to your personal scores. Whoever is the last person earns an additional hour to their team's score as well as 5000 bonus points. If you fail to stay on the ice for at least 5 minutes, it's an automatic DQ. If at anytime your arms lower, you're automatically out keeping whatever time you have. Sachiya tell them what they'll win." Jonny explained the challenge rules.

"Today's winner will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero and this team prize, a PSP Go with the hit game _Little Big Planet_!" Sachiya presented the team prize. "For the ladies we have a starting score of 28,370 and for the gentlemen we have a starting score of 43,940. Good luck both teams!"

"Alright men, behind me are changing curtains for privacy. Grab a speedo and hurry back to start the challenge.

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) Speedos? Really? Do you have ANY idea how big my ass looks in a speedo? Ugh! This is going to destroy my self-esteem!**

The boys, having finally changed into their speedos, came back to the sleigh, trying to no avail to cover themselves. They were oddly self-conscious about their bodies that day, and none of them could understand why.

"Are you sure it doesn't make my ass look big?" Yzak questioned Dearka who carried his larger swim trunks in front of him timidly.

"I'm sure!" Dearka rolled his eyes.

"You're just saying that." Yzak whined.

"No I'm serious, you look fine! If anyone should be worried it's me and my thunder thighs." Dearka sighed.

"Oh don't be ridiculous, I wish I had your figure. It's perfect! I'm just awkward looking." Yzak pouted.

Yzak's complaining caught the ear of Kuwabara who was feeling less than confident at the moment. "YOU'RE awkward looking? This thing totally makes my feet look twice as big! I look like a freaking ogre!" Kuwabara sniffed.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) I couldn't help but listen in on the guys rant on about their little insecurities. It truly was music to my ears. FINALLY men understand what WE go through every single day! It's miserable isn't it guys? And then you wonder why we take extra long to get ready! We're trying to muster up the courage to walk outside feeling halfway presentable! I gotta say, I love Botan, Yukina and Aeka! They are goddesses!**

"Gentlemen, please. Can we just focus on the competition?" Kurama was the voice of reason.

"Oh shut-up Mr. I'm-so-perfect-and-inhumanly-good-looking!" Kira snapped, he was especially irritable for some reason. "Of course you don't have anything to worry about, because girls love _you_! The rest of us have to work twice as hard to keep them halfway interested! But I'm sure you wouldn't know what _that's_ like!" Kira stormed off toward the sleigh turning up his nose leaving a rather befuddled Kurama to follow slowly behind.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I don't know what got into my team today, but whatever it was it made me want to whip up some of my special hormone suppressing herbs. Unfortunately, it's only meant to be consumed by females.**

"Okay, let's get started shall we?" Jonny instructed. The challengers then all filed into the sleigh, yelping from the cold feeling of the ice beneath their feet.

"Ack!" Botan yipped.

"Oh god! Cold!" Flay chirped.

"Well this is just...unpleasant!" Miroku sulked.

Jonny gave them a moment to adjust to the ice before instructing them further. "I hope you're all comfortable."

"Whatever!" Koga scoffed.

"Right." Jonny rolled his eyes. "Alright, at the sound of my horn, you will all raise your arms above your heads and the challenge will begin."

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) What did it feel like? Hmm. Take a hundred needles, stand them upright, and then...sit on them. Yeah, I think that sums it up.**

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) BITTERLY FREEZING! Those are the only words that I could think of to describe the torture!**

"3, 2, 1...GO!" At the sound of Jonny's horn, everyone raised their hands above their heads and thus began the challenge.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) We're probably one of the few people that can say we went to Florida and literally froze our asses off! I seriously was NOT in the mood for that bullBLEEP!**

"Can't we get hypothermia from this?" Spike questioned sourly.

"Nope! The outside temperature actually keeps your core temperature at a healthy and safe level. You just can't feel it." Jonny chuckled.

"I don't see how this is funny." Sesshomaru groaned, his nipples were bothering him and he was suffering from inexplicable lower back pain.

"How are you boys feeling?" Faye questioned slyly.

"Like _you_ care." Inuyasha growled.

"No, really, I'd like to know." Faye pressed.

"Fine! If you must know, my back hurts, my head hurts, I'm tired, bloated and I feel like BLEEP! Would you like me to write any of that down for you?" Inuyasha snipped.

"Wow that sucks." Pan pretended to care. "Maybe you ate too much bacon." With that statement she earned a bunch of silent chuckles from the other girls on her team.

"Puh! Whatever! Leave me alone!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"With pleasure." Pan smiled.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) You should've seen them! They were pumped up full of so many girly herbs n' spices that it would nauseate the cast of **_**Menopause the Musical**_**! My uncle was incredibly entertaining.**

"I can't take this anymore! I have cramps!" Goten squeaked. And at five minutes and fifty-three seconds he stood up and left, unfortunately bumping into and knocking off the sleigh Ayame and Trunks as he did so.

"Hey!" Ayame and Trunks protested from the ground.

"Time for Goten, Trunks and Ayame, five minutes!" Jonny announced as he looked at his stopwatch.

"That's not fair, he knocked me off!" Ayame complained as she pointed at Goten who sat afar on the beach with his knees to his chest.

"Sorry, rules are rules." Jonny shrugged.

"Ugh!" Ayame pouted.

"Screw this! I have a headache anyway!" Trunks then stomped off down the beach to get as far away from the challenge as possible. He had an intense desire to be alone for some reason.

**Ayame: Inuyasha (Gals) I don't exactly have the highest score, so I'm more than positive that I'll be eliminated tonight. And it's all Goten's fault and his inability to deal with cramps. You fight monsters, can fly, change power levels and what gets you to run away crying are CRAMPS? Something we girls deal with every MONTH? What the hell did those girls put in that potion? (o_O)**

"Hey Goten," Bra called over to the half-Saiyan. "I've got some _Midol_ in my purse if you need it!" She joked.

"You know what Bra, BLEEP you okay!" Goten whined.

"Lacus." Kurama whispered to the girl to his left.

"Yes?" Lacus leaned in further to better hear him.

"You wouldn't happen to know what is wrong with my teammates would you?" Kurama interrogated the girl quietly.

"What do you mean?" Lacus tried to play innocent, but Kurama was hardly buying it.

"Lacus." His voice sounded much like a parent chastising a child.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I've spent enough time with Lacus to know when she's hiding something. And in this instance, it was fairly obvious that that is precisely what she was doing.**

"Alright. I may know a little something." Lacus sighed.

"Do tell." Kurama persisted.

"To put it simply, they've been...drugged." Lacus explained sheepishly.

"What?" Kurama made sure to keep his voice at a whisper. He was very upset. "With what?"

"I don't know exactly." Lacus worried her lower lip as she spoke. "All I know is that it came from plants and herbs that were grown in...let me see, the Spirit World, the Human World, Aeka's home planet of Jurai and, umm...Makai!" Lacus tried to remember the strange places that Botan, Yukina and Aeka had described to her that were the origin of the plants and herbs.

"No. You've given them...estrogen?" Kurama gulped.

"And progesterone. With a supernatural charge. They've also been given something akin to prostaglandin E2 which causes their lower abdominal muscles to contract in a similar fashion to what we girls go through once a month." Lacus confirmed.

"How did you get them to take..." Kurama trailed then remembered this morning's 'feast.' " The bacon. That's why you didn't want me to eat it. You cooked the potion into the bacon." Kurama finally figured it out.

"I know you think it's terrible. But I wanted them to know what it's like to feel like a girl. We all did. We think it might change their attitude toward us and maybe they'll stop being so mean." Lacus explained.

"You do realize that once they find out you're behind this that you may just be making matters worse." Kurama reminded.

"Which is why they're not going to find out about it. Right?" Lacus gave Kurama a dangerous look.

Not wanting to challenge her, Kurama only sighed and agreed to keep their secret. "Right."

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It was foolishly genius. What better way to earn male sympathy than to invoke female empathy? I can only imagine the financial success that those girls could achieve if they were to ever decide to market that potion. My god, they could use it to take down an entire government. It was then that I realized, these women, were indeed a force to be reckoned with.**

"Oh this is miserable!" Hige groaned. He and the wolves unfortunately were made to lay down on the ice due to them having the advantage of fur. However, it wasn't so much the frigid temperature of the ice that was getting to him.

"What's wrong Hige?" Miroku questioned.

"My stomach. I just feel like I wanna barf last year's lunch. Ugh, I think I need to eat some grass or something!" Hige felt his stomach gurgling. He tried his best to endure the challenge, but unfortunately at ten minutes and thirty-four seconds he had to take his immediate leave and barf on a nearby rock.

"Ewwww." All of the challengers chorused.

"Ick. Hige, your time is ten minutes. Now go clean yourself up." Jonny grimaced.

_**2 hours later...**_

Half of the challengers had caved at the affect of the ice. Unfortunately, most of those individuals belonged to the boys' team.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) We were totally getting our asses handed to us! It was so unfair because the only reason that I lasted for just 45 minutes was because I was having major back pain. I begged Jonny for a heating pad and would you believe that bastard didn't give me one? I mean, I'm suffering here and he totally ignores me! *BEGINS TO CRY* That is SO wrong! *CONTINUES TO CRY* I need SUGAR! *RUNS FROM CAMERA***

_**3 hours and 58 minutes later...**_

The competition had gotten significantly tighter. Only three challengers remained, two of which belonged to the girls' team. Pan, Yukina, and Hiei all summoned their most dormant bits of endurance and energy as they faced off in this challenge of arctic proportions.

"Come on Pan! Hang in there, girl!" Sango encouraged the other girl as she and the rest of her team watched from the side, wrapped in blankets.

"Ugh, give up already! You're turning blue for sobbing out loud." Hiei tried to discourage the girl.

"Oh...s-shut-up...you...gnome from...hell!" Pan gritted through chattering teeth.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) It started out looking good for our team because most of the guys were falling off for 'emotional' reasons if you can believe it. But even being pumped full of girly juice, Hiei still refused to falter. The persistent little leprechaun!**

Pan could feel her body temperature dropping. Who knew that three hours half-naked on blocks of ice would be enough to take down a Saiyan? "Ooh..." Pan groaned.

"Stay on it!" Faye called out to her struggling teammate.

"I..." Pan sat facing Hiei who sat on the opposite side of the sleigh. His eyes were taunting her, and if it weren't for the fact that she could no longer feel her hands she would rip them out herself. "I...I..." She didn't want to give up with him watching her, but there was only so much that the girl could take. And so she squeezed her eyes shut, and lowered her head in anguish. "I...CAN'T!" And with that, she lowered her arms and half flew out of the sled, collapsing onto the warm sand beside it. "Damn."

"Pan, your time is four hours." Jonny announced.

"Yippie." Pan cheered lazily.

"Alright Yukina, it's all up to you, now!" Keiko cheered.

"Yeah, you can do it 'Kina!" Kagome encouraged.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I truly didn't want to let my team down. But in all honesty, I wasn't having much difficulty with the challenge, so I wasn't worried about that. I wonder why. *DUMBFOUNDED LOOK***

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I knew that I was at an automatic disadvantage because Yukina is an Ice Maiden. Ice has no adverse affects on her. I myself am half Ice Demon. However, my dominate genes lie within my Fire Demon half. Of course. *ROLLS EYES***

"Oh, this is making me so nervous!" Yusuke squealed as he placed his hands over his mouth. "I swear to god, if we lose this challenge, I am going to scream!"

"That makes two of us." Miroku added.

"More like three of us." Android 17 followed as he nibbled on his thumbnail anxiously.

"Do it girl." Faye encouraged under her breath.

_**An hour and 40 minutes later...**_

Ed was pacing back and forth, absently palming his lower back, which had been bothering him. "Oh my god, this is SO nerve-racking!" He blurted with an unusual squeak in his voice.

Hiei and Yukina continued to face off in the challenge, neither individual ready to give up just yet.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I must admit. Yukina was indeed a formidable opponent. However, I could feel myself beginning to waiver, and it wasn't exactly because of the ice. *SIGH***

Hiei began to squirm in his seat. He was becoming uncomfortable. Well, not that sitting on ice in a speedo was exactly a walk in the park. His lower stomach was starting to feel as if someone was stabbing him with a knife...and then twisting it. "Ow." Hiei ground out under his breath.

"Uh-oh. He's not looking so good!" Kuwabara observed.

"Gee, good eye Kuwabara!" Yzak snapped at the orange-haired boy.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Kira bit his fist out of worry for his teammate.

"I have no freaking clue." Athrun palmed his cheek as he shook his head bemusedly.

Hiei continued to squirm as the pain became progressively worse and soon found its way around to his back, upper thighs, and feet causing his face to contort.

"Ooh, I know_ that _look." Flay smirked.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) It appeared as though the brave and powerful Hiei was suffering at the hands of another red-eyed demon known by the name of dysmenorrhea. How terrible. *SHE DOESN'T CARE***

As a reflex, Hiei began to bend forward slightly, hoping that the minor position change would soothe the pain that was steadily growing in his lower abdomen and groinal area. "Okay, seriously now...ow!" Hiei forced through gritted teeth.

"Hiei, are you alright?" Yukina asked as she watched the Fire Demon sit awkwardly on the ice, his face twisting as if to be in severe pain.

"Does it _look_ like I'm okay, Yukina? I mean, really!" Hiei bit back.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Oh yes. He was definitely gone. I know for a fact that Hiei would never talk to Yukina that way. It was official, he was a slave to his emotions and ever transforming hormones!**

"What's wrong?" Yukina questioned. Speaking as if the ice was not affecting her in the least.

"I...my..." Finally, the last large wave of pain hit him causing his abdominal muscles to contract severely, the pain traveling down his groin and legs, and eventually pushing the Fire Demon over the edge. "Damn it! Screw it!" And with that, Hiei retreated from the challenge, hopping out of the sleigh and doubling over onto the ground, resting his forehead in the sand and gripping his abdomen as he did so. (A/N: Ladies you know the position. Don't act like you haven't been there, lol)

"YES!" Faye bellowed.

"NOOOOOO!" Yusuke screamed at the top of his lungs in his best soprano, as he fell to his knees bursting into tears as he did so.

"Snuggle bunny!" Sachiya cried as she ran over to console Hiei. A VERY bad idea by the way. "Oh, snuggle bunny, are you okay?" She attempted to rub his back and therein lied her mistake.

Hiei went full demon for a moment scaring the wits out of Sachiya. He stared intensely at her with flame-filled orbs. "GO AWAY!" He said in a monstrous and demonic tone before returning to his human form and resting his forehead back on the sand.

"AAAH!" Sachiya screamed as she ran away from the Fire Demon.

**Sachiya: Hiei Fan (Assistant Hostess) Okay, THAT was frickin' scary. (O_O) **

"Oh my god this isn't happening!" Dearka cried out.

"Alright Hiei, your time is four hours and forty-five minutes. Which makes the winner for today's challenge-"

"Don't say it! I can't bear to hear it!" Ed whined.

Staring at the blonde-haired alchemist as if the boy were crazy for a spell, Jonny continued with his announcement. "Uhh, the winner of _Frozen Solid _is..."

"NO!" Ed begged as tears began to gather in his eyes.

"...The ladies." Jonny finished.

"OH GOD!" Ed wailed breaking into a rather unmanly sob. "WHY? WHYYYY?" Ed continued to wail and sob as he too fell to his knees utterly devastated by his team's loss, but expressing his disappointment in a highly over dramatized fashion.

Jonny only shook the image away as he continued with the announcement of the winner. "Chibi Wolf Hero recipient as well as a PSP Go with _Little Big Planet_ and 5000 bonus points for their team...Yukina." Jonny finished causing all of the girls to scream in joy. The combination of their screams with the boys' screams of anguish was enough to make someone feel as if they had stepped into an insane asylum.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) You should've seen the boys' reactions. It was like watching a really bad Jim Carrey movie. If Jim had been pumped up full of fem-fuel. You know, the one's where he sinfully overacts in every BLEEP damned scene. Oh wait, that's every movie. *ROLLS EYES***

"Yukina, you rock!" Cagalli praised the girl as she and her teammates carried the girl out of the sleigh.

"Oh my!" Yukina giggled.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I'm so glad that I was able to make my team happy. But my goodness, the boys...I was beginning to think that maybe we gave them...a little much. *BLANK STARE***

"Oh my god I can't believe this!" Spike held onto Koga as the two males cried in one another's arms.

"It's okay, let's just try to breathe. We're still far ahead in the game right?" Koga tried to encourage his teammate through sobs.

"Actually," Sachiya started, "Boys you now have a score of 69,900 and the girls have a score of 62,390." Sachiya explained carefully.

"NOOOO!" Koga and Spike wailed at the sound of hearing the scores and the fact that the competition was now closer than ever as the girls had done a good job of catching up with them.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) This is an absolute nightmare! I can't believe we lost! AGAIN! *BEGINS TO CRY* Where did we go wrong? What did we do to deserve this? *PAUSE* And my speedo made me look FAAAAAT! *SOBS***

"Oh no." Kurama couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He looked around at his teammates and noted how badly they were handling the loss. And he knew the reason why. He approached Hiei who was still doubled over on the ground hugging his lower abdomen. "Hiei?"

"What?" His voice sounded muffled as his head was nearly buried in the sand.

"Are you...okay?" Kurama questioned warily.

"WHY does everyone keep asking me that? NO!" Hiei responded sounding much like he was on the verge of tears.

"Oh goodness." Kurama sighed.

"Alright!" Came Jonny's voice. "Inner circles it's time to decide who to send home.

"Just...whoever's at the bottom! I need a hot bath, and chocolate!" Yusuke cried as he ran from the challenge.

"Wait, you can't leave!" Jonny called out to him.

"Watch me!" And in no time he was gone from the beach heading for White Shore.

"You're kidding me." Jonny was stunned as all of the boys retreated from the beach Inuyasha gathering up Hiei to carry the Fire Demon on his back. Each of them was murmuring something about needing comfort food, heating pads, tea, and a facial. It was quite a sight. "Well, who's on the bottom?" Jonny sighed.

"Goten." Sachiya answered.

"And you know what, I am SO not going to miss it here!" And with that, Goten flew off toward White Shore to gather his belongings.

"Well ladies, I know that this is unconventional, but inner circle go ahead and make your decision on who's going home tonight." Jonny sent the girl's inner circle off to do their duty.

_**Eliminations...**_

It was a rather easy decision for the girls as they had decided to stick to the original elimination format of releasing the team member with the lowest score. And so, they ended up letting Ayame go.

**Ayame: Inuyasha (Gals) SEE! I told you! And it's all Goten's fault! Ugh! Stupid boy and his cramps!**

"See you Ayame. Take care of yourself." Kagome said her goodbyes to the female wolf demon.

Sighing, Ayame tried her best to remain a good sport. "I will. Keep kicking those boys' asses girls!" Ayame encouraged.

"Oh, that's all we know how to do." Faye smiled.

"Alright ladies, good job today! Have a great weekend!" Jonny waved to the girls as he and Sachiya took their leave from the beach.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) 62,390 points! We're on the guys' heels now! Not so cocky now, are ya boys?**

_**Consolation time in White Shore...**_

The boys had all decided to ease their pain and disappointment by relaxing in bubble baths, giving one another facials, hitting the local corner store in search of comfort food, and watching a slew of chick flicks. The current feature being _He's Just Not That Into You_.

"Oh when are you ever gonna get a clue?" Athrun griped at the male character in the movie as he proceeded to squeeze _Hershey's_ chocolate syrup into his mouth followed by a tablespoon full of strawberry shortcake flavored ice cream, topped off with a squirt of whip cream. "Give it up she's never gonna love you! You're too different! You come from different worlds! It'll never work!" The blue-haired Coordinator shouted with an overstuffed mouth.

"Internalizing?" Yzak added flatly as he stuffed his face full of strawberry cream filled _Twinkies_ and vanilla flavored ice cream.

"YES!" Athrun began to sob.

**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) I miss my girlfriend! *CRYING RATHER PATHETICALLY* I have to text her! I'm totally in my right state of mind to do that! *OBVIOUSLY DELUSIONAL***

Hiei had posted himself on a barstool near the kitchen in close range of the ample supply of comfort food that rested on the counter. They had decided to stock the freezer full of _Ben & Jerry's_ pints with flavors ranging from _Cherry Garcia_ to _Imagine Whirled Peace_. They didn't care what they got, if B&J made it, they bought it. Heero along with a few others had had a beyond torturous craving for chocolate. And so he took it upon himself to buy any product that was chocolate within the store. Five of such products being _Betty Crocker_ brownies, and the Wing Zero pilot went nuts in the kitchen baking up all five boxes, to which he himself as well as his other teammates devoured in what seemed like a matter of seconds.

One sole brownie rested upon a platter at which Hiei was eying. Curled up on his barstool, the Fire Demon wolfed down a pint of B&J Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, with every intention of completing his assault on the brownie that sat before him.

Creeping up slowly behind the small demon, Kuwabara too had his sights set on the last brownie. And he had every intention of swiping it from under the unsuspecting Fire Demon's nose. He was so close as he slowly reached out his hand to make the steal. Until..."Touch it, and I kill you slowly." Hiei didn't even bother to look at Kuwabara as he kept his back to him and continued to finish off his ice cream.

"Oh come on! You've had like ten of these! Besides, you lost the challenge today!" Kuwabara pouted.

"At least I lasted longer than twenty-two minutes. Now back away, from the brownie." Hiei warned darkly.

"Why do you always have to be such a bitch, Hiei?" Kuwabara whined as he stormed off up the stairs to his room.

Kurama could only watch from the second floor balcony at the absurd behavior below. He had to admit, he was impressed with what the girls had done. But a part of him couldn't help but be slightly upset with Lacus.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I told Lacus those things because I was under the impression that she had more maturity than the rest of her teammates. I suppose that I was wrong. If I had known that she was going to start using our conversations as justification to enact personal vendettas against my team, then I would have thought twice about bonding with her on that level in the first place. I trusted her. And she took advantage of my trust. I'm definitely going to tell her how disappointed I am. Really, this was going too far. No matter how sinfully hilarious it was. *HOLDING BACK LAUGHTER***

Kurama noticed as Kira broke away from watching the movie and headed towards the steps. He could see that the boy was crying, and his heart couldn't help but ask what was bothering the other boy. "Kira?"

Kira stopped in his tracks, not turning to face Kurama as he spoke. "What?" He sniffed.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) I SO did not wanna talk to him. You have NO idea!**

"What's wrong?" Kurama questioned sincerely.

Kira finally decided to face him then. Tears were running down his face in violent torrents. "Well, right now, it's the fact that you're actually asking me that question!"

"I beg your pardon?" Kurama was confused.

"Oh don't give me that!" Kira spoke through his tears. "You've got a lotta nerve, you know that? You think you can just do whatever you want, with whoever you want just because you're prettier than me! You never once considered _my_ feelings! It's just all about _you_!" Kira could feel himself getting more upset as he yelled at Kurama.

"Kira, I'm sorry but...I have no idea what you're talking about." Kurama stood there looking at the other boy, quite stumped.

"YOU...ugh! Just...forget it! Leave me alone!" Kira raised his hands and then turned abruptly on his heels and walked into his and Athrun's bedroom, slamming the door behind him leaving Kurama to stand there alone and befuddled.

"What in the world?" Kurama furrowed his eyebrows.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Men were spared estrogen for a reason. We're impulsive enough as it is. Removing logic and replacing it with emotions is potential for utter disaster.**

_**Happy times in Starfish...**_

"Ladies, let's hear it for Botan, Aeka and our little champion Yukina!" Faye announced as all of the girls applauded the girls in question for their work at putting the boys in their place.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) I mean really what girl **_**hasn't**_** secretly wished that guys could experience PMS at least once? Ya know, just to see how it feels? I can now die happy. *PHONE GOES OFF, READS SCREEN* Oh my god, Athrun? Okay, you've heard of drunk-texting? Well, PMS-texting is just as bad. Ladies, avoid this at all costs or risk making a total ass out of yourself. HAHA Oh, this is priceless! *CONTINUES TO READ TEXT MESSAGE***

"Oh really, it was nothing." Aeka took a bow.

Just then, Bra walked in, obviously engaged in an intense phone conversation with her mother. "Mom, that's not fair, I told all of my friends that she was going to perform at my party! Mom, it's my sweet 16! Does that not mean anything to you? Ugh, GOD! Can you just put Daddy on the phone?"

"What's _her_ deal?" Flay questioned Miriallia who could only shrug an answer.

"It's her stupid sweet 16 tomorrow, and she's trying to organize this obnoxious party to celebrate." Pan explained flatly.

"This one did not realize that the time to celebrate Bra's birth was tomorrow." Cheza smiled.

"I don't see how any of you could've missed it, honestly." Pan sighed.

"Well we knew that it was coming up, but we didn't know it was tomorrow!" Hilde was shocked.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Geez, no wonder the brat's freaking out.**

"Yeah, she's trying to fly in all of her elite, rich and famous friends and organize the entertainment. Not to mention she hasn't even gotten her dress yet." Pan added causing Bra to shriek.

"AHHH! MY DRESS!" Bra screamed into the phone more than likely damaging the ears of whoever was on the other end. "I haven't even picked out my dress yet! This is CRAZY!" In a panicked state, she grabbed the nearest body for assistance. She needed a shopping buddy.

"Ack!" Android 18 squealed as she was interrupted from her sandwich and now facing a frantic Bra. "God! WHAT?" She yelled in annoyance.

"18, you're gonna help me find my dress!" And without any further explanation, Bra flew out of the front door, carrying Android 18 by the back of her collar as she did, seemingly deaf to the blonde android's protests.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) I get to go shopping with a spoiled, narcissistic, rich kid who doesn't know the value of a dollar. Yaaaay...*OBVIOUSLY ANNOYED***

A/N: Next on Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style, the stars live it up and party like rockstars for Bra's sweet sixteen birthday party! But of course, nothing can ever be normal, by running smoothly and being free of drama! If you're expecting that I need to remind you that this is a parody and nothing is sacred. Nothing. And if you thought that it was, really, where have you been?


	16. Bra's Super Sweet Sixteen, Part 1

A/N: So you guys wanna hear something funny? I started writing this chapter and got soooo into it, before I realized, the damn thing ended up exceeding fifty pages. And it's STILL not done. SO! In lieu of that little dilemma of lengthyness, I've decided to split this chapter into two parts. I wouldn't dare put you through reading all of it at once, it'd take you forever! Another funny thing, I started the next chapter AFTER this a while ago, however, it wouldn't make too much sense to post that before this one because a lot of what happens in the chapter following this one is based on what happens at Bra's birthday party. Don't ask why I wrote them out of sequence, and don't try to figure it out because you'll give yourself a headache. Trust me. I have no methods, only madness. Also, as a little treat for you guys, I've taken the initiative to post two little gifts for you on my profile. Gift numero uno: Two links to a collage that I compiled of all of the characters involved in the story. I noticed that a lot of you were not sure as to what many of the characters looked like so if you're not sure, head to my profile and click on the provided links for their photos. Gift numero dos: A link to a playlist that I compiled containing the soundtrack to this story for your listening pleasure. New songs will be added with each chapter. Who do ya love? Yeah, I know. :) Thanks for your lovely reviews. I was worried that I'd lost the lot of you when I went on that insanely long hiatus. I'm glad that some of you still stuck around and thanks to any new readers that have joined the rest of us in what I like to call The Neverending Loop of Insanity. I hope you enjoy!

**Shout Outs: **

Sachiya: It's good to have you back as well! I sure hope you'll continue to read a long. And if you don't, well I'll just have a to have Hiei burn your character to a cinder! Kidding! Or AM I? LOL!

6Poppy: Nope. Wasn't aware that there was a Daytona Shop on the way to Myrtle Beach. I haven't been to Florida in a while to be honest. And yes. That was indeed quite random, lol! Welcome to the story and I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I own none of them. Sadly.

**Song Disclaimer: ** "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha; "Womanizer" by Britney Spears

**Chapter 16: Bra's Super Sweet Sixteen, Part 1**

_**Insanely early morning in Starfish...**_

The blue-haired girl crept out of her bed and headed for the bathroom. Feeling confident that no one would be up this early, she decided to linger in the shower, allowing the comforting heat of its water jet to massage her tense muscles. She had such a long day ahead of her, with so many things to accomplish and so little time to do it.

**Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy, got my glasses I'm out the door, I'm gonna hit this city...**

"Happy birthday to me," She began to sing quietly and lazily to herself as she squeezed a generous amount of shampoo onto the palm of her hand, rubbing the contents into her hair until it worked up a gentle lather, "happy birthday to me, happy birthday...dear Bra. Happy birthday...to me." Yes, today was the day of her sixteenth birthday. More importantly her sweet sixteen. And the half-Saiyan princess had every intention of having the perfect day. _Her _perfect day. "My perfect day."

Turning off the water jet, she freed her hair of the excess water before stepping out of the over-sized stall. Wrapping herself in her towel, she made her way over to the large bathroom mirror. She wiped away the condensation that formed onto the glass surface to better view herself in its reflective surface. "Okay Bra, today, is _your_ day. Your perfect day. And nothing or no one is going to get in the way of that." Bra gave herself a pep talk in the mirror as she continued to groom and dress herself.

**...I'm talking pedicure on our toes toes, trying on all our clothes clothes, boys blowin' up our phones phones...**

Donning a simple red spaghetti strap tank, white mini skirt and red cork wedges, she gave herself one last glance in the mirror. "Here we go." She smiled deviously.

Making her way quietly outside of the villa, she positioned herself so that she was in-between both the boys' and girls' villas. Noticing a significantly large boulder that rested adjacent to her villa she then got a deliciously evil idea, causing a smirk to glide across her lips. "Perfect." Picking up the boulder with little to no effort, she threw it into the air and waited until it was perfectly positioned between the villas on its way down before releasing one of her most powerful energy blasts. The boulder then exploded into millions of smaller pieces of rock, the blast making a rather alarming noise as it did so.

**...Don't stop make it pop DJ blow my speakers up, tonight I'ma fight 'til we see the sunlight. Tik tok on the clock but the party don't stop no. Oh oh oh oh! Oh oh oh oh!**

_**Startling times in White Shore...**_

Yusuke, along with everyone else in his villa, awoke in a tizzy. "What the-"

_**Startling times in Starfish...**_

"...hell!" Faye along with the rest of the girls in her villa awoke in a fright.

"What is going on?" She heard a frightened Aeka sound from next door in her and Ryoko's room. The mystery was solved once the now awake individuals of each villa heard Bra's voice sounding off from outside.

_**Outside of the villas...**_

"For those of you who are not already inside of Starfish, you have exactly five minutes to change that! MOVE!" Bra's voice was fierce. And being that the boys were half asleep to begin with, as a reflex they retreated from their villas and did as instructed.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) Oh you didn't know? Yeah, my sister's psychotic. I begged our parents to get her help.**

**Duo: Gundam SEED (Guys) Is she completely off her rocker? You don't wake-up ex-soldiers who've been to war like that! Do the words shell shock mean anything to you, ya crazy bitch? I damn near pissed my BLEEPING pants!**

It was less than five minutes before everyone was crowded into Starfish's living area. Most of them appeared to still be asleep, while many of them were wide awake, on high alert, and overtly anxious. Faye grasped her chest as she tried to gather her bearings. Sitting on the arm of the couch, her eyes ventured towards the front door as Bra re-entered the villa.

"Bra! What the hell!" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Are you out of your feeble mind?" Hiei frowned.

"Bra, honey...seriously...what is it?" Faye was still trying to collect herself.

Bra made her way into the living area. Standing in front of the coffee table so that she was centered in front of all of them, she smiled as if she hadn't given them the wake-up call from Hell not moments prior. "Good morning everyone!" Bra started in an overly perky tone. "I'm sure you're all wondering what the hell you're doing here at...4:41 in the morning." Bra spared her _Dolce & Gabbana_ watch a glance.

"Uhh, yeah!" Flay added sarcastically as she hugged her pillow, resting her chin on top.

"Well, I have gathered you all here today on this beautiful Saturday morning to give you instructions." Bra began.

"Instructions on what, Bra?" Trunks was thoroughly annoyed with his younger sister at the moment.

"On exactly how we will proceed at making today the most perfect, awesome, day that any rich, privileged, and insanely beautiful girl such as myself should have on her birthday!" Bra explained with a wide grin.

"It's your birthday today?" Android 17 questioned sounding less than unenthused.

"Not just _any_ birthday! My sweet 16!" Bra chimed.

"Aw hell." Spike groaned as he buried his face into his hands.

"That's right, I've been planning this thing for a long time, but I've had to make major adjustments because of this stupid competition." Bra continued sourly.

"I don't see what any of this has to do with us!" Yzak growled causing Trunks to quickly intervene, placing a gentle hand on the silver-haired boy's shoulder.

"Dude." Trunks started as he shook his head languidly. "Nooo." Trunks flatly warned.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) If anyone knows better than to argue with Bra whenever she's made up her mind that something is important, it's me. If you value your life, you don't do this.**

"What do you mean you don't see what any of this has to do with you? You're all coming to my party." Bra ordered earning a barrage of 'absolutely nots' 'you've gotta be kiddings' and 'I'd rather shove used heroin addict needles under each and every last one of my nail beds' to filter throughout the room. Bra could feel herself getting angry as they all made excuses and disobeyed her orders at once. Grinding her teeth and balling her fists up at her sides, she began to release low growls as they continued to totally disrespect her to her face by finding many a colorful ways of telling her 'no.'

"...Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second, now. I didn't say anything about..." Started Yusuke as he adamantly stood to his feet.

"...You expect me to attend some frivolous gathering..." Came Sesshomaru's voice.

"...And I've got better things to do than waste a few hours of my life amongst a bunch of spoiled, bratty-ass teenagers..." She heard Spike complain.

"...I swear to god I will sick PETA on your ass for animal cruelty if I'm made to go through with this BLEEP..." Growled Hige.

"...Now all of a sudden we have to do as you say? I don't think so! You've got some nerve telling me..." And at the sound of Flay's rant the half-Saiyan princess finally exploded.

"QUIEEEEEEEEET!" They were certain that the villa quaked somewhat from her outburst. Panting heavily, she appeared to be a ravenous beast, ready to strike upon its prey. "Now listen, and you listen good! This is MY party! And in spite of everything that has happened in this competition, every last one of you WILL attend! You will all have dates! Whether they be with one another or someone that you met, I don't care, but you WILL have dates! Now, you're all gonna be there, and you're gonna get along, and you're gonna have FUN! Have I made myself PERFECTLY clear?!"

Fearing for their lives, and rightfully so, everyone nodded with rather terrified looks plastered upon their faces. "Good! Now that that's settled, get dressed! We're going shopping." She then started to trot off toward the front door with an inappropriately cheery disposition. Stopping suddenly, she turned to face them once more to say one last thing. "Oh and girls, when you go shopping for your dresses, try not to over compensate too much because it would be really drab if you showed up looking better than me. Not that that's possible but, yeah...just take it into consideration when you're browsing, 'kay?" Saying her final peace, she skipped out of the villa to run her many errands for that day before her party.

Everyone was stunned to silence and could only stare blankly into space. "Uhh, what just happened?" Yusuke gulped.

"I think we just got owned...by Bra." Kuwabara stated with widened eyes.

Trunks stood to his feet then, stretching as he did. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my world. The sun rarely shines here."

_**A day at the mall...**_

It was still early as the challengers approached the large multistory building the moment security unlocked the doors. None of them could understand how they found themselves in this situation, and why they found themselves powerless to fight against it. Perhaps it was the fear of Bra's wrath. The girl was painfully serious about having the perfect sweet sixteen birthday party. And they all just so happened to get caught in the middle. They all stood outside of the building gazing upon its outermost structures as if it were a fortress of death.

"Well, look at it this way, at least she invited us." Keiko tried to find the bright side. "That was nice of her, right?"

"You've got it all wrong." Trunks began blandly. "This was never about us. It always has been and forever will be, about her."

"I don't understand how I've been dragged upon this meaningless journey." Sesshomaru started grimly. "I see no reason why I should remain in this infernal place. It is beneath me."

"Do you like how your head is attached to your body?" Trunks began flatly.

"Of course!" Sesshomaru snapped.

"Then you'll remain here, unless you want it to end up 'beneath' your feet." Trunks explained as a matter of factly. Suddenly they all heard the irritating clicking of heels making contact with the pavement causing them all to cringe at the venomous creature that approached them.

"Umm, why the hell are you guys just standing out here?" Bra questioned sourly as she carried her large white and gold _Prada_ handbag over her arm. She stared at them with extreme vehemence over her huge white-rimmed Hollywood sunglasses.

"Bra," Botan began, "Are you sure we can't just...get you a card or something?"

"A card?" Bra said the word as if it were poison.

"Oh no." Trunks palmed his forehead.

"Y-yes...a-"

"A CARD!" Bra growled, the vibration of her voice penetrating violently through to the core of the individuals that stood unwillingly before her.

"I-I'm...sorry, I-"

"Do you know what a card is like, Botan?" Bra began as if she were about to lecture a class. "A card is a mockery. It holds no value, and basically is a slap in the face to the recipient! Giving a card to someone on their birthday, especially when that someone is me, is like giving clothes to a starving child! Would you do that, Botan? Would you give clothes to a starving child instead of food?" Bra ground out looking more scary than usual.

"N-no?"

"Well then, let me help you out here...it's my BIRTHDAY and I'm BLEEPING starving! And since I can't EAT a card, I suggest you march your little ass into that mall, buy yourself some hot, semi-formal, threads, and a better BLEEPING GIFT than a BLEEPING CARD! AND THAT GOES FOR ALL OF YOU! Now MOVE IT!" And not seconds later did the challengers find themselves rushing into the mall to follow their orders. If it were anyone else, they would either tell them to shove it, or blast them into another dimension. But Bra was a special case. She was psychotic with superpowers. A very bad combination. "We'll meet in the food court at noon!" Bra called in a calmer, more cheerful tone.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) Even **_**I**_** know better than to challenge an unstable woman like that.**

**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) PSYCHO! She's completely clocked out! End of story! Now I've gotta decide whether to go with a tie or a pendant. *MUSING PAUSE* I think I'll do the pendant.**

_**The girls' shopping spree...**_

Many of the girls had found a formal wear store and stopped in to browse through the selections. They had to admit that the time spent in the mall was somewhat fun. They had been so busy with the competition as of late that they rarely had a chance to just kick back and do leisure activities outside of the villa. So they tried to enjoy themselves in spite of the fact that Bra was doing everything but holding a gun to their heads to get them there in the first place.

"What do you think of this one?" Kagome held up an ankle length red evening gown with a flowered lace top for Sango and Hilde to view.

"Mmm, nah." Sango and Hilde denied the dress. Hilde then spotted a nice short, satin, flared, party dress. It was strapless, pink, and had a pink rose in full bloom pinned on its chest. "What about this one, Kagome?"

"My that's lovely." Sango smiled.

"Oh wow, Hilde! Gotta say, I like your taste!" Kagome perked.

Hilde held the dress up to Kagome. "Oh yeah, that's definitely you!"

"I think I like this one." Came Miriallia's voice as she held up a strawberry champagne calf-length, satin dress with a V-neck. The dress had a long ribbon that tied in the back of the neck and was virtually open back from the waist up.

"Ooh, that's really cute! I think you should go with that one!" Flay complimented as she held onto a red, knee-length dress. It was open back and had a long V-neck that stopped just at the top of the breasts. Underneath the cups was a wide-knit design that exposed bits of flesh of the upper rib cage.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) You know, ignoring the fact that we were dragged into this by super-bitch, I have to admit that I was having a lot of fun. I mean come on, who wouldn't have fun shopping? That's like, abnormal!**

"Never doubt the power of the little black dress!" Pan stated as she picked up a black, knee-length, wide crew-neck dress, with short, loose, sleeves that went no further than the shoulder.

"Oh yeah, you wanna look good for Hiei, right Panny?" Miriallia teased.

"Ugh, stop!" Pan couldn't help but blush.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) That reminded me. Bra said that we were all gonna have dates! So that means...oh GREAT! And guess who's gonna end up having to ask who? Sometimes I wonder if I did something especially heinous in a past life!**

_**The boys' shopping spree...**_

"So, dates are mandatory huh?" Dearka mused as he browsed through suits with Yzak, Yusuke and Duo.

"Yeeep! It's cool though. Hilde already agreed to be my date so that's one problem down." Duo sighed as he picked up a wine colored suit with a black shirt and tie. "Hmm."

"Wait, Hilde's your date?" Dearka cocked an eye.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I knew something was going on with those two. *SLY GRIN***

"Don't go getting any ideas! Hilde and me are just friends!" Duo denied.

"Sure man. Whatever." Yusuke shrugged.

The four males continued to browse before Dearka decided to break the silence once again. "You know, uhh...Bra asked me to be her date." Dearka stated plainly causing the three boys to stare at him as if he had just told them he was actually born a woman or something else outlandish.

"WHAT!" Duo, Yusuke and Yzak chorused.

"Yep." Dearka smirked.

"Tell me you didn't say 'yes.'" Yzak pleaded.

"Wish I could man." Dearka sighed.

"Dude, she's gonna murder you." Yusuke was in shock.

"Something tells me that wasn't her incentive for asking me." Dearka said with unsettling confidence.

"What are you talking about?" Yzak swallowed.

"Well, according to her..." Dearka licked his lips absently.

_**An hour earlier...**_

_"Oh hey, Dearka, wait!" Bra trotted behind the blonde Coordinator as he headed for his villa._

_Releasing a silent exasperated sigh, Dearka halfheartedly turned on his heels to face the girl. "Yes, Bra?" Dearka answered her in a sardonically pleasant tone._

_"You're my date for tonight." Bra immediately cut to the chase._

_"I'ma wha...?" Dearka arched an eyebrow, instinctively leaning his ear in closer. He couldn't have possibly heard her correctly._

_"My date. You are him. So be sure to buy something hot for tonight." Bra instructed._

_"Bra I...why?" Dearka's eyes widened. He was beyond confused._

_"Well, as the lady of the hour it's imperative that my date be the hottest guy there. I was gonna go with Kurama but his hotness just borders on being too damn pretty and I'm definitely not gonna have a date that's prettier than me so...yeah, you get to do the honors." Bra explained._

_**Back to the present...**_

"I don't get it." Yzak appeared lost as Dearka's little story went over his head.

Yzak's clueless state caused Duo to roll his eyes. "He means she asked him because she thinks he's hot. Keep up." Duo sighed as he ventured over toward the shoes.

"You're kidding!" Yzak's mouth hit the floor.

"Nope." Dearka nodded with a smug grin.

"So...what now?" Yzak was eager for details.

"Yzak, you've known me how long? The girl asked me to be her date for tonight. And you know my procedure for the 'after party' that follows all of my dates. Especially if the chick is a little hottie like Bra." Dearka winked as he pulled out a black suit with a deep purple silk shirt. "Hmm."

**...Womanizer, woman, womanizer, you're a womanizer, oh, womanizer, oh, you're a womanizer baby you, you, you, are...**

"I don't believe this." Yzak shook his head slowly.

"Believe it." Dearka returned flatly as he viewed the suit against his body in the mirror.

**...You, you, you are...**

"Hm. Well I hope you two will do well of keeping the activities during this 'after party' incognito." Yzak arched an eyebrow.

"Bra's a good girl. She knows how to keep her BLEEP to herself." Dearka added.

"I hope so for your sake." Yusuke raised his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?" Dearka chuckled.

"You don't know?" Yusuke queried.

"Know what?" Dearka was confused.

"Her dad's coming to the party." Yusuke explained.

"Her...dad?" Dearka gulped. "You mean the...all-powerful Prince of the almighty Saiyans dad that she's always going on about? _That_ dad, dad?" Dearka's palms became sweaty.

"Yep! And I'm sure he'll wanna hear all about your future plans to pork his beloved daughter." Yusuke slapped the blonde-haired boy playfully on the back. "By the way, I'd go with the cream shirt. Makes you look like less of a pimp." Yusuke released a hearty chuckle.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I'd just like to state for the record...I want to be laid to rest in a wall on Aprilius 1. That is all. TERRIFIED**

**...Womanizer, woman, womanizer you're a womanizer oh, womanizer, oh you're a womanizer baby.**

_**Preparations in Starfish...**_

Bra had been running about the villa like a chicken with its head cut off. Everyone had finally finished their shopping and now came time for her to make arrangements with her desired catering service. Unfortunately, they were located in Japan. Not that that discouraged the blue-haired princess.

"No, they HAVE to do my party!" Bra continued her protest to her elder brother Trunks, who was stuck on party-prep duty until their parents arrived.

"Bra, they're on the other side of the globe." Trunks tried to reason with his sibling as he grazed glasses-covered eyes over the items on a clipboard, checking off accomplished objectives.

"So! Just tell Daddy to hop them on a capsule jet and have them here by tonight." Bra shot back.

"Bra. There are other catering services in the area." Trunks was becoming frustrated, but retained his cool.

"But I want MY catering service! Besides, they'll be serving cuisine from around the world...plus chicken fingers!" Bra pouted.

"You can't expect Dad to just _make_ them-"

"Are you doubting Daddy's negotiating skills?" Bra folded her arms defiantly.

Trunks then released an exasperated sigh. This was obviously a fruitless battle. Pushing his black-rimmed, glasses up on his nose he regarded his sister with an irritated expression. "Of course, what was I thinking? All I gotta do is drop your name and reduce our great father to a panting lap dog who wags his tail like a retard to your every command."

Raising her eyebrows, Bra could only stare at Trunks as if he were wasting time. "Exactly." She stated vainly.

"And I'm dialing." Trunks sighed as he retrieved his cell phone from the pocket of his cargo shorts.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) *UNCHARACTERISTICALLY EMOTIONAL* I'm really scared. I've worked with my sister before and I thought that I could do it again, but I can't, she's just mean! *SNIFFS* I don't...I can't handle it anymore, alright? If you only knew what she's done to me. *NEAR TEARS* It's horrifying. **

"Hey Bra, you said it was cool if we invited one guest including our dates, right?" Hilde inquired. She idly fiddled with the bodice of her black, calf-length, strapless dress with gold trimming as she spoke. She had this horrifying vision of the top sliding down during the night, and while she was sure Duo would get a kick out of the inevitable eye-candy that would ensue, she wasn't sure she'd be able to show her face in public after such an ordeal. And so she had discreetly duct taped the inside to her upper ribcage. One couldn't be too cautious.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. The more the merrier." Bra answered blankly.

"Good, because I called her this morning and she's already here in Florida, so...yeah." Hilde scratched the back of her head nervously.

"Whatever. Just make sure that whoever you bring follows the dress code and beautification standards." Bra finished.

"Beautification standards?" Hilde arched an eyebrow.

"Don't look hotter than the birthday girl." Cagalli whispered to Hilde in the green evening gown that Aisha had given her. She was thankful that they were able to get the chili and yogurt sauce stains out at the cleaners, otherwise she would've had to waste money on a dress she only ever intended to wear once.

"Ookay...whatever." Hilde rolled her eyes.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) She **_**is**_** aware that she's not the hottest chick to grace this planet with her presence, right? I was almost pressed to 86 the idea of inviting my friend, but then I remembered that this was Bra's sweet freaking sixteen party. And being that my friend is one of the very few people who can keep me civil when I'm irritated, I decided to invite her for insurance purposes.**

"Wait, no! She can't come, she doesn't have a date!" Bra started.

"What?" Hilde choked.

"No one is allowed at my party without a date. So unless she's bringing a male guest with her, she can't come. Those are the rules." Bra explained as if she were relaying the concept of one of their more complex competition challenges.

"Oh what the BLEEP Bra! It's a chaperoned, teenage, birthday party for god's sake!" Hilde growled.

"Correction! It's MY chaperoned, teenage, birthday party, which puts it at like a 10 on the significance Richter scale. Which means that anyone in attendance will follow the rules that I have set. Got a problem?" Bra gave the raven-haired girl a challenging glare.

"No. And you don't have to worry about that because, she and I are gonna double up on Duo." Hilde explained. Thinking for a moment and noticing the look on Bra's face, Hilde decided to clean up her statement. "Err...at your party! Uhh, just as escorts! Oh damn it, grow up Bra!" Hilde griped as she stormed off towards her bedroom.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Ooh, there were so many dirty ways that I could have twisted that, but I had bigger fish to fry. *SIGH* Yet another opportunity to inflict awkward, discomfort on someone else lost for the greater good aka my party. *DEVILISH GRIN***

"Yeah, I'm not touching that one." Bra smirked as she continued to go over her to-do list. "Okay, I already reserved _Razzle's_ for the whole day. I got my dress yesterday..."

"A day which I've decided to revisit in a monologue entitled, '5 Hours in Hell' in memory of the horrific experience. Really, I'm gonna write a book." Android 18 commented cynically as she pulled out her knee-length mint green strapless dress with gold, floral designs.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) I swear. Detainees in Guantanamo Bay receive better treatment.**

Flipping Android 18 the bird, Bra continued to recount her accomplishments. "Got my shoes. Gaga's green. Gotta pick-up Kylie, Ash, Em, and Savvy from the airport at...oh my GOD TEN MINUTES AGO! Trunks assign the dates!" Bra squealed as she glanced at her watch. Dropping everything, she ran out of the villa and hopped into one of the transportation vans, ordering the driver to double time it to the airport.

"What is it now?" Serena sighed as she unveiled her calf-length, spaghetti strapped, pink, satin dress with a ruffled under layer.

"She forgot to pick up her airhead, vapid, friends from the airport." Trunks replied flatly. "Or as I like to call them, skank numbers one, two, three, and four." He finished with a sour grin.

"Oh great, just what we need, more of those." Winry rolled her eyes as she tried on her dress, viewing herself in the mirror. A simple black, knee-length, spaghetti strap layered get up with pink material on the bottom layer and floral designs on the sheer, top, black layer.

"What did she mean by 'assign the dates?'" Yukina questioned, eying her blue evening gown nervously. It was rather racy for her with its backless style, while the flowing, weightless, material was cut short by the right knee, and gradually became longer as it swooped around toward the back.

"Bra took it upon herself to pick dates for those of us who didn't arrange ones ourselves. So that we wouldn't have to." Trunks explained sardonically.

"Gee, how nice of her." Sango added dryly. Being that she knew that she would more than likely be paired up with Miroku, she was grateful that she decided to choose a tame dress for the evening. Pan was right, never doubt the power of the little black dress, and that is precisely what she had settled on. A simple calf-length, V-neck, satin, black, dress with a bit of lace that modestly lined the cleavage area. Though it was sleeveless, she was confident that it covered enough save for the cross-strap design of its back portion. "Terrific." She sighed.

"I've already read off the list for the guys, so now I'm just filling you girls in." Trunks started. "Pay attention, because I'm only gonna read these once." He announced as he regarded his trusty clipboard. "Julia's with Spike, Keiko's with Yusuke, Cagalli's with Athrun-"

"WHAT? But we JUST broke up!" Cagalli protested.

"Just...go with it." Trunks rolled his eyes and waved his hand lazily into her general direction.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) Well. This is gonna be incredibly awkward.**

"Pan you're with Hiei. Shut your mouth, I don't wanna hear it." Trunks stopped Pan from complaining before she had a chance.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Today was a special day alright. Today, was the day that my life, officially...ended.**

"Flay you're with Kira. Serena, you're with Goten...yes he's coming. Cheza's with Kiba, Yukina's with Kurama, Winry's with Ed..."

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) When I heard that Kurama was going to be with Yukina, I'll admit that I was a little jealous. But, I wasn't going to complain. After all, it wasn't as if I wasn't going to get to see Kurama at all that night.**

"...Kagome's with Inuyasha, Sango's with Miroku, Aeka you're with me. Yay. Blue is with Hige. Faye you're with Android 17, Miriallia you're with Heero, Botan's with Kuwabara, Ryoko's with Sesshomaru, and Lacus is with Wufei. The rest of you have either already made arrangements for dates, or are exempt from this stupid rule because you're married." Trunks regarded Android 18 with his last comment.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I was quite nervous to learn that Kurama would be escorting me to Bra's gathering that evening. He is rather handsome and I suddenly had the urge to look extra perfect that night.**

Suddenly, the doorbell rang urging Faye to get up and answer it. Opening up the door she noticed a blue-haired woman standing next to a man with dark, spiked hair. She noted that the man was rather stocky and scary looking. "Hi there. Can I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Bulma and this is my husband Vegeta, we're here to see our daughter, Bra." Bulma greeted Faye.

"Oh you're Bra's parents. Sure, come on in!" Faye escorted the two individuals inside. "Everyone, this is Bulma and Vegeta! And they are Bra's parents!"

Trunks' ears perked once he heard his parents' names. Finally, he was free. Running towards them, clipboard in hand, he greeted them as if they were saving him from Frieza or some other arch-nemesis that they had fought in the past. "Oh! Thank GOD you're here!" Trunks embraced his parents in a tight hug.

"It's...good to see you too...honey!" Bulma strained as her son's strong arms wrapped firmly around her.

"I didn't know what it was like!" Trunks whispered softly into their ears, sounding to be near tears.

"You didn't know what what was like, son?" Vegeta groaned as he tried to loosen his son's embrace.

"Being...you!" Trunks admitted. "Bra...is a hell spawn. My respect for you is greatly deepened for your ability to tolerate the incorrigible creature that is my sister." Trunks leaned back to gaze into his parents' eyes.

Bulma looked at him for a spell and then she saw it. He had 'the look.' And she was finally able to figure it out. "She put you on party-duty didn't she?" Bulma blandly surmised.

"YES!" Trunks cried as he rested his head wearily upon his mother's shoulder.

"There, there. It's alright. I'm here now." Grabbing the clipboard from his hand she gently palmed his cheek like any loving mother would. "You're such a good son. I release you. Go play."

"Oh! THANK YOU!" Trunks bestowed his mother with one last hug before exiting the girls' villa as quickly as possible.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) I'm free. I'm free! I'M FREE! YES! YEEEES! *CRIES MACHO TEARS OF JOY***

_**Preparations in White Shore...**_

"So Hiei, you're finally getting your wish with Pan, huh?" Ed teased the Fire Demon as he tried on his suit. It was a rather interesting number with a red jacket, black pants and black shirt and tie. He decided to stick with his signature boots and white alchemist gloves as he felt the accessories actually accentuated the look.

Hiei said nothing but only stared at himself in the mirror. Kurama had helped him with selecting his outfit for the night and he truly could have killed the redheaded kitsune for his taste in clothing. Looking over the dark blue jacket he idly fiddled with its golden buttons. Allowing his eyes to travel further down at the matching pants, he was still trying to debate whether to go with the black shirt and tie, or just the shirt itself. Placing the tie over his head, he supposed that the tie appeared more appropriate. "I suppose that will do." He spoke to himself, but where the alchemist could hear him.

"What? You're actually satisfied then?" Ed's eyes grew wide. Was Hiei actually pleased that Pan was his date for that night?

"Hn." Hiei nodded.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Hiei glad to go on a date? Oh I definitely had to tell Dearka and Yzak about this. We'd been on Hiei's case about Pan since 'Jacuzzi Truth or Dare!'**

"Well, good luck tonight. Don't do anything that Dearka wouldn't do." Ed joked, unknowingly in earshot of the blonde-haired Coordinator.

"I heard that!" Dearka shouted as he marched down the steps in full suit. He had gone with a gray pinstripe, suit with a gray pinstripe vest that covered a black, silk, shirt and cream, satin tie. He decided to finish the look with a gray 40s style gangster hat and shoes. He truly appeared to be something that stepped out of _Casablanca_.

"Well, well, look at you." Duo gleamed in the wine suit that he had been eying in the store. He decided to tease his teammate further by suddenly standing to his feet and grasping the other by his upper arm.

"Dude!" Dearka started.

Duo gazed deeply into the other boy's violet eyes, but it was still hard to hide the humor that lied within his blue orbs. "Hey...we'll always have Paris." Duo poked with a hearty chuckle.

Dearka snatched away from the braided-boy's hold. "Whatever. You know I look good." He smirked.

"You'd better," Yzak began as he stepped out of the bathroom in a cream suit, with a baby blue shirt and cream, satin tie. "Or Bra is going to disembowel you." He grabbed his cream, 40s gangster style hat from the counter and placed it upon his head. Apparently he and Dearka had planned the theme when they were browsing.

"Nice, Yzak." Duo started dryly. "Tell me, did you ever find out if Annie was okay?" He sarcastically regarded the silver-haired Coordinator's choice of outfit.

"Who?" Yzak furrowed his eyebrows.

"He's trying to say you look like Michael Jackson in _Smooth Criminal_." Dearka sighed.

"Uh, yeah. I know." Yzak rolled his eyes causing his other teammates to widen theirs.

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) Yeah, I'm kind of a fan. I mean come on he was the freaking KING of POP! And this is my way of paying tribute. (A/N: And mine too as if it wasn't sinfully obvious. RIP MJ)**

"So Yzak, who's your date?" Yusuke questioned as he entered the room in a simple but elegant black suit and tie. He was obviously going for the black on black look.

"I don't know. Apparently, it's 'a surprise.'" Yzak made air quotes as he flopped down on a bar stool.

"Hmm, I wonder who it could be." Dearka stated in a vaguely suspicious tone.

Just then, Trunks trotted down the steps hurriedly in his dark chocolate suit, with burgundy shirt and tie. He appeared to be in a nervous rush. "Guys, listen up! I just got off the phone with my parents and they've informed me that the guest list for Bra's party has reached 1,215!" Trunks paused to give his teammates a moment to let that bit of ridiculous information sink in.

"That's insane!" Kira stated. He truly wasn't in the mood to be partying, especially when his date was Flay. He was tempted to pick a hideous outfit but in fear of Bra's wrath, he felt it safer to go with a gray on black look.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Who the hell even knows 1,215 people? Exactly. No one. So all of you attention whores on Facebook and MySpace with that many or more friends, you're not fooling anyone. It's pathetically obvious that no one loves you and the fact that your list continues to become progressively larger at an obnoxiously rapid, not to mention unrealistic, rate is clearly a cry for help. **

"And this information is important how?" Yusuke pressed.

"Most of them are rich snobs and members of the 'elite' from Bra's school, but plenty of them are celebrities." Trunks explained.

"Go on." Dearka was especially interested now.

"I'll just let you know that the cast of _Gossip Girl_, _Jersey Shore_, and _The Hills_ are confirmed, as well as Paris Hilton for some odd, annoying reason." Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Oh GOD!" Ed gagged.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Jersey BLEEPING Shore? Really? This is a recipe for violence. I personally have had a burning desire to kick The Situation in his own "situation" if you know what I mean. With my LEFT leg.**

"Paris Hilton?" Athrun pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Aw BLEEP." Spike groaned. He purchased _Versace_ for Paris Hilton? He was quite tempted to fake his death at this point.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) *HOLDING GUN TO HEAD* If I position the barrel just right, you think it's possible to buy myself a 24 hour coma? Seriously. It's Paris BLEEPING Hilton. I'm willing to take a hit for this one if it means being very NOT conscious and aware of her toxic presence. *REMOVES SAFETY***

"She's also booked Ciara, Justin Timberlake, and Lady Gaga as her musical guests." Trunks worried his lower lip. He couldn't believe that his parents were actually going this far for his sister's sweet 16.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. When she said her first word, **_**TMZ**_** did a whole 10-minute story about it. If you can believe it, it was 'mall.' And she's been as shallow as a piss puddle ever since. **

Just then, they heard a banging upon their front door, loud enough to cause even the strongest of them to inwardly tremble. They knew whom it was that waited on the other side. They could sense her presence. And though they did well of concealing it, they were quite terrified.

"It's her." Miroku swallowed. He quickly began to adjust his white suit to assure that he appeared perfect to Bra's standards.

"Answer it." Android 17 ordered nervously.

"What? No!" Miroku refused as he backed further into the living area of their villa. "Trunks, you answer it. That's your flesh and blood out there anyway." Miroku waved toward the half-Saiyan.

"That's not by choice, mind you." Trunks groaned as he sauntered his way towards the door that was currently undergoing unspeakable abuse by his sister's fist. "Okay, we're coming!" He shouted to the doorway. Finally opening the one thing separating him from possible sudden death, he witnessed his younger sibling standing there with her arms folded, tapping her foot quite impatiently upon the warm pavement. "Why good afternoon, your highness. How may I degrade myself in order to serve thee?" Trunks started blandly.

"You can start by moving out of my way." Bra narrowed her eyes toward her elder brother.

Stepping aside, and mock ushering her in, Trunks had to bite his tongue in order to prevent himself from releasing the barrage of insults that he had been storing up for the past twelve hours. "Okay boys, inspection time. Line up!" Bra ordered as she snapped her fingers repeatedly as if to give them a cadence as they scattered about to form a perfect line that stood parallel between the living area and the kitchen.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) I did not understand why my worthless teammates were so eager to follow the orders of such a revolting woman. I refused to be treated with such disrespect and submit to her requests. *AWKWARD PAUSE* And I was swiftly made an example of.**

"Sesshomaru. Line. Now!" Bra ordered the demon lord to move. However he refused to adhere to her demands.

"I will do no such thing. It is time for you to realize that a demon of my power, rank, and reputable valor would never acquiesce to your frivolous, vile, commands." Sesshomaru challenged the girl as his dangerous amber orbs burned into her blue ones.

Bra paused for a moment and folded her arms. An unreadable expression beginning to form upon her features. "I beg your pardon?" Her infernal and frightening tone seemed to cause the room's temperature to drop several degrees.

"Sesshomaru, man...don't." Yusuke warned under his breath as he militantly stood in line.

"No, no. Leave him. I wanna see this." Inuyasha smirked evilly.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I could tell that Bra was getting pissed. And I know that Sesshomaru is strong. But you see he's missing three very important qualities in this fight: Severe mental instability, bitchyness, and my all time favorite, spoiled-rich-teenage-girlaritis with a sense of unwarranted self-importance. He can't win. Really.**

"You do not own me. My value is far beyond anything that your under developed mind could possibly comprehend." Sesshomaru stepped to the small, teenage girl as if to beckon her to do her worst.

"Oh, he's BLEEPED." Duo sighed.

A faint smile formed across Bra's glossy lips as she stared into the elder demon's piercing gaze. She mentally noted how he was still dressed in his usual garb and regal robes. And that was truly the last straw.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I can take a little trash talk. But threatening to show up to my sweet 16 looking like something that stepped out of a Japanese mythology book was the straw that broke the camel's back.**

"I said..." Bra began softly as she lowered her eyes to the ground. "Buy. A. SUIT!" Suddenly, as quickly as any of them could blink, a powerful energy blast was released within the villa, Sesshomaru directly in its bath. A blinding white light momentarily filled the villa, only to fade and reveal a path of singed furniture, flooring, and half of the building gone with no sign of the mighty demon lord. Remnants of smoke from the attack began to snake its way up to the ceiling causing many of the occupants to cough and wheeze.

"BRA! What the HELL!" Yusuke shrieked once he caught sight of what was left of their villa.

"Damn it Bra!" Ed coughed out.

"BLEEP, Bra! Look what you did to our villa!" Kuwabara managed to choke out as he fanned the excess smoke away from his face. He was quickly regretting that he chose a cream suit and black shirt and tie instead of the other way around as he dusted the coal-like residue from his jacket.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Now where the hell are we gonna sleep! She destroyed HQ! Un BLEEPING believable! *PISSED OFF***

"Oh, no!" Kurama cleared his throat. "Where is Sesshomaru?" He questioned quite concerned.

"Probably halfway to Orlando by now." Bra replied as she nonchalantly dusted excess dust from the crumbling villa off of her skirt. "Straighten up for inspection. I have to hurry up and get ready myself ya know. Not to mention I've got four girls who are very susceptible to sunburn waiting for me outside, chop chop!" Bra's tone was dictatorial.

"Well, there goes White Shore." Android 17 sighed. He just had to go with tan. Now he looked like he had just escaped from a burning building.

"And Ryoko's date." Koga ground out lazily. He was relieved that he decided to bite the bullet and wear a simple black suit and tie, regardless of how odd it felt.

"No. Yzak, you will escort her to the dance at which point the two of you will separate and you will meet up with your real date for the night, is that clear?" Bra relayed to the Coordinator who was dusting the ash off of his cream suit sourly.

"Yeah. Whatever." He answered flatly.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Yeah. Don't screw with me on my birthday. Iraqi POWs will pity anyone who dares to take that road. Seriously. *SCARY STARE***

_**Shocking Moments in Starfish...**_

"Did you girls hear that?" Serena gasped as she finished curling the loose hair that fell from her signature 'meatballs.'

"Yeah," Julia started as she slid into her wine, strapless, cocktail dress. "I'm suddenly reminded of our little wake-up call this morning. That worries me."

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I had a feeling that one of the members of the guys' team would let their testosterone get the better of them. God forbid they have to actually take orders from a female. The fact that she can blast you into orbit be damned. Morons. *ROLLS EYES***

"OH MY GOD!" Hilde bellowed.

"What?" Keiko along with Miriallia, Botan, and Aeka all gathered around Hilde who was covering her mouth as she gazed out of their window.

"Heavens, no!" Aeka gasped.

"Christ, is that the boys villa?" Keiko felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"Yes." Hilde gulped. She then felt Faye come up behind her, who was adjusting her hairpin into her hair bun.

"BLEEP! Where's the rest of it?" Faye screeched.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I couldn't believe it. That crazy little tart turned the boys' villa into an over-sized dollhouse! It looked like a BLEEPING diorama. **

"I wonder which one of them said something stupid." Cagalli shook her head.

"Considering they're all a bunch of jackasses, it's anyone's guess." Ryoko griped.

"Unbelievable! She does realize that some of them are gonna have to shack up over here now, right? Has she completely lost her mind?" Faye was pissed off.

"Oh yeah that's right!" Hilde gasped. "Damn!"

"BLEEP! Which rooms are empty?" Ryoko started as she tried to recount the free rooms from eliminated teammates and others that had yet to be occupied.

"Oh, I've already taken the liberty of compiling a list of the empty rooms." Keiko started. "I figured if it ever became an issue of rooms, we'd have this guide to help us with assignments."

"Gee Keiko, thank you for being unnecessarily organized." Faye answered with dry sarcasm.

"It looks like the vacant rooms are, 2C, 4C and 4D. Each can hold up to three people so, that's nine bodies down. And we can't forget the pool house, which has two rooms, and a couch-bed. So that's like fourteen bodies in all." Keiko explained as she looked over her notes.

"Fourteen, huh?" Faye said mostly to herself.

"On the bright side it looks as though the only bedrooms that were destroyed are from their third floor on up." Hilde began as she continued to peek out of the window and study the boys' still smoking villa.

"Oh thank god!" Sango sighed in relief.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) I for one knew that Miroku was rooming with Inuyasha on the 1st floor. Suite 1D to be precise. So that ruled out the prospect of him having to sleep here. That would've been beyond awkward, especially considering that he was my date for the night and I would have to put up with him hitting on me the entire time. *CRINGES***

"Girls, let's not worry about sheltering the boys right now. Let's just focus on making sure that we look good and have fun tonight. We might as well in spite of the drama, right?" Flay interjected.

"Oh you just wanna party and flirt with your date all night." Miriallia rolled her eyes.

"You're partially right. Kira may be my 'assigned' date, but I called up a guy that I met here a few weeks ago." Flay winked.

"Not..." Miriallia trailed briefly recalling Flay's encounter with a gentlemen at _Razzle's_ nightclub on the night that Lacus and Yuki first met.

"Yep. I invited him this morning and he said that he'd be happy to be my _real_ date for the night." Flay licked her lips unconsciously.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) She's talking about the same guy that Bra was chatting up and 'bonding' with that night. I believe his name was Michael if memory serves me well. Yeah, this isn't going to cause any drama or anything. *SIGH* In the exasperated and eloquent words of Pooh Bear I say: Oh bother.**

"Yeah, okay. You have fun with that, Flay." Miriallia patted the girl on the back as she helped her zip up her red dress. Ironically, it was the same exact color as Bra's dress for the evening. She briefly wondered if it was done on purpose, but quickly shook the thought away as insignificant. Which it truly was, as far as Miriallia was concerned.

"Alright girls, I'm going to need you to line up for me!" Bulma called out to the competitors. "It is the request of the birthday girl that everyone get inspected for their outfits. But don't worry. Unlike my daughter, I won't be hard on you for your choice of dress for the evening." Bulma stated calmly, causing the girls to relax.

"Thank god!" Blue sighed. It was bad enough that she had to memorize the image of a dress that she saw in the store in order to project it correctly through her 'wolf illusion.' But to have her choice of dress be the wrong one in Bra's eyes would have been the last straw. She had selected a black, calf-length, spaghetti-strapped, sequined dress with fuchsia trimming along with black heels that strapped around the ankle. She accentuated the look with a black choker that held a small, pink, rose within the middle, and black dangling earrings. An illusion this detailed required a lot of work and concentration. And so she was relieved when Bulma gave her a thumbs up before passing on to Botan.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) As a wolf, it's hard enough projecting yourself as a human. However, projecting yourself as a human wearing **_**Vera Wang**_** is grounds for some kind of illusionist award. Seriously.**

Botan was next, and she could feel her stomach churning as Bulma scanned her up and down as if to be sizing her up for battle. At least, that's what it felt like to the blue-haired deity. She had chosen a candy pink, wide crew-neck, sleeveless, silk dress with a loosely ruffled bottom. It was cut to fall as low as the knee on the left only to fall as low as the calf as it swooped to the right. She had chosen a candy pink choker, pearl earrings, and elegant, semi-formal strap-up pink heels. She decided to accent the look by painting her fingernails and toenails a satiny, pink color. Having pinned her hair into a bun that rested at the top center of her cranium with two strands that hung freely by her temples, she was praying that her choice of outfit was acceptable being that it took her three hours since they returned from the mall to put the look together.

"Botan, you look absolutely stunning!" Bulma complimented the girl.

"Oh thank you! I was worried that I'd be a disaster!" Botan sighed.

"Nonsense. Truly, you all look beautiful. But, if you know my daughter she likes to be humored." Bulma released a nervous laugh as she continued to Lacus. "Well aren't you lovely?" Bulma regarded Lacus.

"Thank you very much Mrs. Briefs." Lacus bowed her head graciously.

"Oh I just love 'M' cut dresses!" Bulma perked as she continued to study Lacus' white, sleeveless, satin dress. It was backless and fastened up by her neck.

"'M' cut?" Lacus questioned.

"Oh you know, how it falls at the bottom, it sort of resembles an 'M.'" Bulma smiled.

Lacus regarded the bottom of her dress and noted that it did indeed resemble an 'M.' "Well, imagine that!"

"Love the silver, heels. And your hair! Not too many people can make pigtails look elegant!" Bulma added causing Serena to clear her throat. "Except for you Serena, your pigtails are absolutely adorable."

"Thank you!" Serena grinned.

"Speaking of hair, Hilde, I really like the Rihanna inspired style you've got going. Who says girls with short hair can't guzzy up?"

"Exactly!" Hilde chirped.

"Okay, to sum this up...Aeka, I love your dress. Short in the front with a long train in the back, truly fit for a princess. And lavender totally brings out your hair. Cheza, going with a sort of sheer, flower print, white dress that's not too long and not too short is simply gorgeous. Whoever picked it out, kudos."

"Thanks!" Flay chimed as she placed a final hairpin into her braided bun.

"Uh-huh. Faye, red and black really gives you that vixen look. I especially like that you chose to go with a fitted get up to accentuate your beautiful curves." Bulma said with a wink as she regarded Faye's knee-length, spaghetti strapped, satin dress. It was black with red trimming along the bust line, with a red strip that traced down the mid-front portion of the material. She finished off the look with black, ankle-strap heels and her favorite red hair bow.

"Wow, you sound like you should be doing commentary for the red carpet or something." Faye joked.

"Well, when you have a daughter like Bra, giving feedback on outfits can feel like that at times." Bulma chuckled.

The doorbell then sounded, causing a few of them to start. They had been quite on edge since their wake-up call that morning. "Who could that be?" Miriallia furrowed her brows as she attacked her pinned up hair with what seemed like a pound of super hold hairspray.

"Ooh, that's probably for me!" Hilde rushed toward the door as she put on her black, dangling earrings. Opening the door she was delighted to see a familiar face standing on the other side. "Hey girl! Ya made it!" Hilde quickly embraced the small, mocha-skinned girl that stood on the other side of the door.

"Hey Hil!" The girl brightened as Hilde embraced her.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Finally! Someone that would keep me from getting violent tonight! Duo's usually the one who'd cause my need for violence to subside, but lately he's been actually adding fuel to that fire. So yeah...**

"Everyone, this is Cenia! We're old military buddies. She was in my unit." Hilde introduced her friend to the group.

"That is until you decided to go AWOL." Cenia added dryly.

"Well hello there, Cenia. I'm Bulma, the currently absent birthday girl's mom." Bulma regarded Hilde's friend pleasantly. She slowly began to study her outfit and hair as if they were a lost language causing the girl to become uncomfortable.

"Umm, Hilde," Cenia whispered, "why is this woman looking at me like she wants to fight me or something?"

"Oh no. She's just checking your outfit to make sure it's acceptable." Hilde explained.

"Acceptable?" Cenia arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, her daughter's a little...cuckoo!" Hilde swirled her index finger by her temple to emphasize her point about Bra's mental instability causing the other girl to nod slowly. Maybe she had made a mistake by agreeing to be Hilde's guest.

"Well Cenia, I love that you chose black, you can't go wrong there. Although as a fashion FYI, being that you have such beautiful, caramel skin you should try for reds, and oranges. Ya know, tropical colors, to bring out your dark hue. Ooh, do you have tropical heritage by chance?" Bulma started.

"Uhh, West Indian." Cenia could only bemusedly stare at Bulma.

"Oh! I love it! Well, the strapless style is really daring, and I love the sheer, swooping, mid-drift. Quite sexy! And the imprinted rose silhouettes! And your curly-twisty bun! Ah! Who is the dress by?"

"Umm, _Valentino_." Cenia answered shyly.

"Oh my god, are you serious? You must be quite wealthy." Bulma brightened.

"Actually, no. It's called having an accountant that'll get you one helluva tax return. Besides, I heard that the birthday girl was loaded, and I wanted to look my best." Cenia added.

"Oh, dear. You don't have to worry about that, I'm sure Bra wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you bought your dress from _Versace_ or _JC Penny's_."

As if on cue, Bra breezed in through the front door with four, skinny, obviously upscale teenage girls that appeared as if they had stepped out of a fashion magazine on her heels. "Hey mom! I finally picked up the girls. They didn't really have to wait that lo-ohmygod is that _Valentino_?!" Bra rushed Cenia, fervently gripping the silk fabric of the other girl's dress.

"Uhh, hi!" Cenia awkwardly tried to squirm out of the other girl's grasp.

"Why are you wearing _Valentino_?!" Bra growled.

"Well, I would've come naked, but I figured that'd make an awkward first impression. Speaking of which!" Cenia snatched the remainder of her dress away from Bra.

This of course only served to anger Bra further. Being that she had merely purchased a _Gucci_ dress, she was about to be shown up by someone that she didn't even know, let alone care about. She could literally feel her face becoming hot with anger. "This...this...this is...MOOOM!"

"What's wrong honey?" Bulma came up beside her daughter.

"What is the number one rule for tonight in regards to the dress code?" Bra questioned through gritted teeth.

"Uhh, the birthday girl must wear the most expensive outfit by the world's top fashion designer?" Bulma answered her daughter with a wry grin.

"YES! My dress is _Gucci_! Everyone who has any sense of fashion and significance in the world knows that _Valentino_ makes _Gucci_ look like Wal-Mart spawn! AND I REFUSE TO GO TO MY PARTY DRESSED IN WAL-MART SPAWN!"

"Is she for real?" Cenia whispered to Hilde who could only mouth the word 'crazy' while once again swirling her index finger by her temple.

"Honey, I've seen your dress. It's gorgeous. It doesn't matter if it's by _Gucci_. Really, its visual aesthetics have much more to offer than her dress." Bulma tried to calm her daughter down while mouthing 'sorry' to Cenia who only shrugged her shoulders in apathy.

"Oh cut the crap, Mom!" Bra bit back as she approached Cenia. "Look here. I don't know you and quite frankly I don't really care who you are, but if you're coming to my party, you're not wearing that." Bra ordered.

"You're kidding, right?" Cenia laughed.

"Do I LOOK like I'm kidding?" Bra's eyes widened psychotically.

"No. But I can tell you what you DO look like." Cenia growled. The two of them were really not meeting on the best terms.

"What was that you little-"

"H'OKAY!" Hilde stepped between Bra and Cenia. Knowing her friend, she knew that the other girl was quite feisty and rough around the edges. Growing up in poverty and going to war as a teenager will tend to do that to a person. "Let's not...go there, okay Cenia. Why don't you just...come upstairs to my room, and we'll see if we can find you another, less expensive, dress to wear for tonight." Hilde nervously guided her friend toward the stairs.

"What!" Cenia protested but was silenced by the feeling of Hilde applying pressure to her upper arm.

"Just...come with me. I'm telling you. That's a fire you don't wanna start." Hilde informed her friend under her breath as she absently shook her head.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Gawd! That could've been a disaster! Another word, and Bra probably would've blasted our villa halfway to the outskirts of our solar system!**

"Well, hello girls." Bulma greeted Bra's friends.

"Hi, Mrs. Briefs." The girls chorused.

"I see that you've brought your dresses, you can change while you're here. You're meeting your dates there I assume." Bulma continued.

"Yep!" They all nodded.

"Bra, aren't you going to introduce your friends to your teammates?" Bulma chided her daughter.

"Sure. Teammates, these are the Whores. Whores, teammates." Bra stated cynically.

"Bra!" Bulma slapped her daughter's shoulder.

"But if you must call them by name, this is Savoya, that's Emily, that's Ashley and Kylie to her right. Girls if you care to learn the names of any of these losers you can do it yourself, I'm going to get ready." And with that, Bra rushed upstairs to her room to prepare for her party.

Keiko used this time to stand beside Bulma. "With all do respect Mrs. Briefs, how do you tolerate her?" Keiko questioned innocently.

"I just try to remain positive and constantly say to myself 'she's your daughter, and you love her.'" Bulma answered flatly. "A little _Bailey's _in the morning and a little purple pill in the afternoon helps on those extra hard days. Like today."

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Tonight is going to be a loooong night. Here's hoping someone spike's the punch so that we don't have to be sober for the torturous ordeal.**

_**To be continued…**_

A/N: There's a bit of an Easter Egg in this chapter. Punch n' pie to whomever can identify it. ;) Sit tight, because Part 2 will be coming to ya sooner than you think. And it's gonna be quite a ride if I do say so myself. Quite a ridiculous and shamelessly insane ride! Later dears!


	17. Bra's Super Sweet Sixteen, Part 2

A/N: Hello, again! Let me warn you, this chapter is thus far the longest one in the story. So grab your popcorn, candy, and soda because you're gonna be here for a minute! Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. Honestly, I didn't know that this story was going to make it this far. I really didn't expect it to, being that it's just so outlandish and senseless. But apparently that's what sells so, I thank you for being outlandish and senseless and having a sense of humor that's as weird as mine. ;) LOTS of new songs in this chapter (it is a party after all) so, head to my profile and click on the soundtrack if you're interested in jamming right along! Without further ado, I present to you Part 2!

**Disclaimer: **None of these characters belong to me. Accept for Cenia and Bra's minions. They actually _do_ belong to me.

**Song Disclaimers: **Oh, crap:"Sweet Dreams" by Beyoncé; "Say Aah" by Trey Songz; "Stylo" by Gorillaz; "3" by Britney Spears; "Sexy Chick" by David Guetta and Akon; "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" by Lady Gaga; "How Low" by Ludacris; "Hotel Room Service" by Pitbull; "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf; "Love Shack" by B-52's; "Blah, Blah, Blah" by Ke$ha; "I Wanna Be Bad" by Willa Ford; "Naturally" by Selena Gomez; "Tie Me Down" by New Boyz; "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx; "Rude Boy" by Rihanna; "Coronation (Abridged)" by Christopher Tin; "Love, Sex, Magic" by Ciara; "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga; "Telephone" by Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé; "Video Phone" by Beyoncé feat. Lady Gaga (PHEW!)

**Chapter 17: Bra's Super Sweet Sixteen, Part 2**

_**Party time at Razzle's...**_

The challengers could all hear the distorted melodies of Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams" resonating from the inside of the building as they approached, side by side with their respective 'dates.' They were all dressed in their best and prepared to at least get some enjoyment out of the night regardless of the irritating circumstances of their forced presence. They could see guests arriving in stretch limousines and expensive vehicles. The blinding lights of the many camera flashes seemed to cause the entrance of the nightclub to glow with an otherworldly luminescence and for a moment they felt that they were trapped in a cosmic constellation. But only for a moment. The fantasy was quickly destroyed by the flicker of blonde locks in the night upon overtly tanned, bare shoulders.

"It's her." Spike whispered to Julia who clung to his arm like a bashful prom date. Glitz and glam was really not her thing.

"Who?" Julia questioned.

"Paris. Hilton." Spike said her name with a hint of ire and disgust. "That's it. We're turning around." Spike started.

"Oh stop it!" Julia chided as they approached the door.

"Names." The robust gentleman at the door held a clipboard taut between his well-toned bicep and forearm.

"Spike Spiegel and Julia." Spike answered.

"Ah, here you are. Gift?" The man extended his hand.

"Umm, we don't have a gift." Spike furrowed his eyebrows.

"Then I'm afraid I can't let ya in." The man frowned.

"I'm sorry, what?" Spike leaned his ear in as if that would help him to hear the man more clearly.

"Sorry, birthday girl's orders. No one gets in without a gift. Next! Hey!" The doorman protested as he was collared up by Spike.

"Listen buddy! I wasn't woken up at 4:00 in the BLEEPING morning by an explosion outside of my BLEEPING window, only to be dragged to a mall to chuck out $450 to buy this damn suit, to then suffer the ordeal of having half of my BLEEPING villa blown up by some psycho over-privileged bitch just to have some seven-foot, WWE reject tell me that I can't get into the party that's the cause of all this bullBLEEP in the first BLEEP damned place! Now either you step aside and let us into this stupid party, or I'm gonna shove my size 12 _Kenneth Coles_ so far up your ass, you're gonna give 'em a new spit shine. Get my point 'Roid Scholar!'" Spike tightened his grip on the man's collar as he blurted out his frustrations.

"I'm sorry, but I was told not to let anyone in without a gift." The man explained nervously.

"Ha!" Flay started. "Well then I guess none of us are getting in because none of us have a gift!" Flay chuckled as she hung onto Kira's arm.

"And I'm sure Bra would just love for her guest list to go from 1,215 to say...1,175?" Kira added with a smirk.

"And it would all be thanks to you." Wufei smiled as he escorted Lacus towards the entrance. After all, he didn't get all dolled up for nothing. The outfit was quite exotic looking consisting of black pants and a red tangzhuang jacket with black Chinese characters monogrammed upon its fabric amongst other extravagant designs. He specifically chose the jacket with the Chinese character 'Fu' for 'happiness' in hopes that it would bring him much needed luck for the rest of the evening, being that happiness had seemed to abandon them all as of late.

The doorman thought for a moment. The lady of the night would not be pleased if her invites were not present because of him. And so he decided it wouldn't hurt to bend the rules slightly so as to avoid her wrath. After all, they would have to deal with her for not bringing a gift in the first place, not him. "Fine." He sighed as Spike released him.

"Good boy." Spike patted the man on the shoulder as he and the rest of the challengers entered into the nightclub.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) I was sleep deprived, broke, confined to a charred villa, and attending a teenage birthday party, which meant there would be no alcohol. I was not to be BLEEPED with tonight. **

They could hear the blaring sounds of Trey Songz featuring Fabolous "Say Aah" now as they drew further into the club. They took in the many extravagant decorations that garnished the ceiling and walls. The color scheme being deep red and white caused the atmosphere to have the feel of a Valentine's Day party minus the hearts and cupids. They couldn't believe that Bra's father, Vegeta, was able to put them all up by himself while they were all battling it out at the villas. He truly was mighty and powerful. Bra was currently nowhere in sight which was to be expected, as she was planning on making a grand entrance along with her date for the night, Dearka.

Yusuke and Keiko approached an ice sculpture that was a replica of, yes you guessed it, Bra. It was modeled after the Roman goddess Diana, and quite detailed; archery equipment and all. Yusuke could only stare at the sculpture blankly. "Wow. You think they went all out for her party?"

Keiko eyed the piece blandly for a moment before deciding to answer. "Naaah." And with that she slipped on her long black gloves to accentuate her sleeveless 'little black dress' as they journeyed further into the party.

"Alright everybody listen up!" Trunks started as he pulled Aeka closer to him unconsciously. "This is it! We're here. And regardless of how we got here, we're gonna try to just forget about that and have a good time. Mostly because our lives literally depend on it being that my sister is completely off, but also because we deserve it. After all the BLEEP we've put up with during this competition, I think it's about time we just relax, cut loose, and enjoy ourselves. And honor my beloved baby sister on her 16th birthday." Trunks rushed the last part of his sentence once he saw his father giving him a chastising eye from the bar.

"Hey I dunno about you," Duo started gleefully, "but I definitely plan on having a good time. I've got TWO freaking hot dates! Count 'em. One! Two!" Duo grinned amorously as he stood between Hilde and Cenia who had decided to change into a fuchsia party dress that fastened around her neck. It was cut to fall just above the knee, backless and quite simple. It was also by _Ralph Lauren_ and hereby 'dress code safe.' "So sweetie pie, what'd you say your name was again?"

"Cenia." Cenia rolled her eyes slightly as Duo guided her and Hilde into the club by their lower backs. Appearing all as pimpish as he felt.

"Mmm, Cenia. I like it. It's...exotic." Duo winked at Cenia.

"Oh will you give it a rest, Duo!" Hilde growled as she slapped the braided boy on the shoulder as they headed for their table.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Oh I'm gonna have fun coming up with threesome innuendo jokes for the rest of the night. That should definitely make for interesting conversation. *DEVIOUS SMIRK***

_**Table Minamino...**_

"Oh here Yukina, let me get that for you." Kurama pulled out Yukina's chair for her to which she gratefully accepted. She let her eyes linger on him for a moment. She noted how handsome he looked in his black double-breasted suit.

"Thank you, Kurama." Yukina blushed as she sat down centered before what appeared to be a stage of sorts. Across the way she could see Wufei, Lacus, Athrun, and Cagalli.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I was quite curious as to how Athrun and Cagalli would manage for the rest of the evening considering their differences. I did hope that they would be well and get along.**

_**Table Zala...**_

"Athrun, you know that I like sitting so that I'm facing the doorway. I like to see who's coming in." Cagalli stood by the table next to Athrun as the two decided on seating arrangements...at a birthday party. (A/N: I know...ridiculous...sue me.)

"Oh what a coincidence. So do I." Athrun regarded her darkly as he removed his burgundy suit-jacket to reveal the black shirt and tie underneath.

"Well then I guess we have a problem." Cagalli spared the blue-haired Coordinator a challenging glare. Her brown eyes locked with his green ones.

"I guess we do." Athrun answered her flatly, matching her challenging glare with ruthless abandon.

"Oh dear." Lacus quietly sighed. She was hoping that they would be civil for at least an hour before starting up.

"Oh for the love of...here! Take my seat!" Wufei stood up from his chair so as to allow both Athrun and Cagalli the opportunity to sit in door facing seats.

"Thank you, Wufei. It's nice to know SOME men still have manners." Cagalli sighed as she took her offered seat.

"Don't get excited. I was only willing to sacrifice my seat if it meant that I would no longer have to listen to that incessant chatter you like to pass off as civil conversation, you stupid woman." Wufei growled as he folded his arms generating a chuckle from Athrun.

"What did you say?" Cagalli fumed.

"Wufei, look," Lacus quickly interrupted, "they have fortune cookies!" Lacus grabbed a cookie from the dish that was centered on the table.

"What? You think just because I'm Chinese that I'd be flattered? I'll have you know that the fortune cookie frenzy didn't begin until the American restaurant business boom. I suppose you'll also expect me to eat the cake with chopsticks and request tea instead of punch, right?" Wufei rolled his eyes.

"Wow Lacus, your date is fun!" Cagalli said with a sarcastic grin.

"Fine, I'll just take this one then." Lacus cracked open the fortune cookie and widened her eyes at the message that lied there.

"What's it say, Lacus?" Athrun queried.

"_Do not be seduced by the beauty of every rose that you encounter. For every rose has its thorn._" Lacus swallowed once she read the message.

"Interesting." Wufei spared Athrun a knowing glance who unconsciously cleared his throat causing him to take a swig of water. They both recalled the night they caught Lacus and Kurama snuggled on the couch in the den. So considering the circumstances, the fortune was eerie to say the least.

"It's a little weird, but deep I guess." Cagalli shrugged as she took a sip of water.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) I was just waiting to hear **_**The Twilight Zone**_** theme the second I read that fortune. But it was just "Stylo" by Gorillaz. *BLANK STARE***

Lacus slowly sat the small strip of paper on the table allowing her eyes to drift towards the table where Kurama, Yukina, Kuwabara and Botan were engaged in friendly conversation. She noticed how comfortable he seemed around them, especially Yukina. She watched as he gently brushed a strayed hair from Yukina's face, generating an innocent blush from the blue-haired Ice Maiden. Releasing an inward sigh, she made an attempt to drag her eyes away from the display only to turn her head once again into his direction. Her face immediately grew flushed with embarrassment once her eyes were met with Kurama's striking emerald gaze. For a moment it seemed as though he was ogling her until she studied him further and noticed that he was actually giving her a look of...disappointment? "What in the world?" Lacus whispered to herself.

"What was that?" Cagalli questioned as she absently bobbed her head to the music.

"Nothing." Lacus furrowed her eyebrows. Feeling uncomfortable under Kurama's gaze, she decided that she preferred to be out of his line of sight. "Uhh, do excuse me. I have to...find the ladies room." Lacus regarded Wufei.

"Uh-huh." Wufei breathed as he idly viewed the menu card on the table. He didn't even react when Lacus made her rather speedy departure from their table.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Yes Lacus. You've been a very, very bad girl. *DEVIOUS SMIRK***

_**Table Yamato...**_

"Where the hell is Dearka?" Yzak grumbled as he and Ryoko accompanied Kira and Flay in their corner booth.

"Wow, alert the press. Yzak doesn't know where Dearka is." Flay teased.

"Shut-up! He told me that he and the pestilence that is his date would be arriving together. According to her, I don't get to meet _my_ date until they get here." Yzak griped.

"Aww, is Yzak feeling a little lonely?" Ryoko purred as she playfully tickled the silver-haired Coordinator's ear with her finger causing him to slap her hand away in annoyance.

"No! I just want to get this over with!" Yzak grumbled as he folded his arms impatiently.

"Well, it's not exactly seven o'clock yet and that's when the 'real' fun begins so I'm sure it won't be too long." Kira glanced at his watch briefly before allowing his eyes to venture toward the ever-arriving guests. The club began to slowly fill to epic proportions as indistinctive conversations could be heard in the background over the music.

"Oh my god, Kira, look!" Flay nudged Kira's arm fervently as she pointed off into the direction of the entrance.

"What?"

"It's Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick!" Flay whispered excitedly.

"Who?" Kira frowned.

"What do you mean 'who'? Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick! Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass! From _Gossip Girl_!" Flay tried her best to activate a light bulb in the others to no avail. They could all only stare at her blankly. "Ugh, you guys are such an uncultured waste of oxygen!"

"Wow, how very pot n' kettlish of you, Flay." Ryoko rolled her eyes as she pulled out a flask from under her dress and proceeded to remove its top.

"Ryoko!" Kira protested.

"Quiet! If I'm expected to get through tonight and remain non-hostile at the same time, I'm gonna need a little assistance." Ryoko took a quick swig of her flask before returning it to her garter strap, unknowingly catching the eye of Spike by doing so.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) Was I dreaming? Did Ryoko manage to sneak booze into the party? At that point I was willing to be her bitch for the evening, as long as she promised to be my supplier of happy.**

"Ryoko!" Spike called from his table. Julia, Android 17 and Faye all focused on the space pirate intently.

"Aw BLEEP." Ryoko sighed as she smoothed out the bottom of her black, calf-length party dress. She absently worried her lower lip once she felt Spike and Faye flanking her from the left.

"We saw that." Faye smirked.

Releasing an exasperated sigh, Ryoko knew that it was too late to deny the truth at this point. "What do you want?"

"Considering the circumstances, anything _you_ want." Spike answered.

Pondering for a moment, Ryoko slowly stood to her feet facing the two individuals before her. Taking their hands into hers she lead them away towards the back of the club away from the 'kids.' "Spike, Faye, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Here, here."

"My god, they are so bizarre." Flay sighed.

_**Table Schbeiker...**_

Duo was literally having the time of his life as he sat between his dates in their corner booth accompanied by Heero and Miriallia. He was already starting up with inappropriate comments making the girls quite uncomfortable. The fact that "3" by Britney Spears was currently playing was not helping matters any.

"Well what do ya know, ladies? They're playing our song." Duo smirked as he placed his arms over both Hilde and Cenia's shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" Hilde growled.

"1, 2, 3 not only you and me, got 180 degrees and I'm caught in between. Countin' 1, 2, 3-"

"Does his mouth ever close?" Cenia cut Duo's sing-a-long session short as she questioned Hilde about her braided male friend. She pinched Duo's hand once she felt it straying too far south.

"Only when he's unconscious." Hilde sighed.

"That can be arranged." Heero added blandly. He too was growing tired of Duo's immature comments and obnoxious behavior.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) So he had two girls to play with for the night. What's the big deal? It's not like either of them held any interest in him aside from inflicting immense amounts of pain.**

"Ya know, green's not really a good color on you, Heero." Duo winked at the other boy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Heero questioned the ex Deathscythe pilot darkly.

"I know you're jealous. It's not my fault I've got two hot chicks to keep me company for the night, and you're stuck with a dreadfully skinny, carrot-top." Duo chuckled.

"I'm sitting right here." Miriallia grumbled. "And for your information, braid-boy, my hair is auburn."

"Whatever." Duo shrugged as he hugged Cenia closer who finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Ugh, that's it!" Cenia snatched away from Duo and quickly excused herself from the table.

"Aw come on, I was just having a little fun! I promise I'll quit! I'll sit on my hands even! Cenia!" Duo pleaded as he chased after the mocha-skinned girl.

"How long was that?" Miriallia regarded Heero who glanced at his watch.

"Sixteen minutes and thirty-two seconds, you owe me five bucks." Heero answered her in his usual emotionless tone.

"Damn." Miriallia sighed generating a hearty chuckle from Hilde.

_**Meanwhile Outside of Razzle's...**_

Bra made final adjustments to her dress and hair as she and Dearka waited for the perfect time to execute her grand entrance. She pulled out her compact to better view her hair to make sure that every red rose shaped hairpin was in its proper place. Her braided bun was covered in what felt like an inch-thick coat of hairspray as excess curled strands of hair fell from the eye of the bun. Pulling out her cherry gloss, she decided to add another dab to further accent the rouge of her lipstick. She then pulled out her eye shadow and added another light coat of rose shadow to her left eyelid. From her red, rose dangling earrings, red polished nails, and red party dress she was feeling more confident than usual. "Perfect! Dearka!"

"Yes?" Dearka groaned. He wanted to hurry up and start the party, not to mention he hadn't eaten all day and was currently at the mercy of hunger pains that he was certain could bring down a rigorously trained army fleet. He could hear the heavy beats of "Sexy Chick" by David Guetta and Akon from where they were standing, and it was not helping his impatience in the least.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) Bra has to be one of the most high-maintenance chicks I've ever known in my life. And believe me, I know high-maintenance.**

"How do I look?" Bra queried.

"Even hotter than you were when you asked me five minutes ago." Dearka sighed.

"Oh come on, you're not even studying me properly!" Bra placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh for the..." Dearka raised his hands in the air in exasperation as he looked Bra up and down. He studied the red lace mid-drift portion of her dress. Allowing his eyes to travel further north, he noted the rose trio that was implanted between the bust line just below the v of her cleavage. He then let his eyes drift downward to view the cut of the dress; short and above the knee on the left as it grew longer toward the right to fall just above the calf. "Turn around." He softly ordered, and Bra complied, extending her arms as she did. He noticed that the back portion of the dress was completely backless from her lower back to the nape of her neck where the dress was fastened. She completed the look with silver, 3-inch heels that could easily double as salsa shoes. "Okay, you're sexy. Can we go please?"

"Not yet. We have to wait for the signal from my parents." Bra explained.

"Signal? What are we, mod squad now?" Dearka rolled his eyes.

"Dearka, you'd be wise not to mock me on my birthday." Bra narrowed her eyes into the blonde Coordinator's direction.

"Sorry, princess!" Dearka huffed sarcastically.

"You're lucky you're hot or you'd meet the same fate as your boy Sesshomaru." Bra warned coyly.

Dearka only spared Bra a flirtatious grin, causing the blue-haired half-Saiyan to blush slightly. Luckily, she already bore a rose tint to her cheeks due to her glamorous makeover and he failed to notice.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Speaking of Sesshomaru, I wonder how he's doing. I really don't know my own strength sometimes, especially when I'm righteously pissed off.**

_**Somewhere near the Everglades...**_

"Oh Mary-Sue, ain't no such thang as a swamp monster!" A young boy with chestnut hair and a strong southern accent walked through the marshes with his sweetie pie as the two of them went reptile hunting. He carried a BB gun over his shoulder while grasping her trembling hand in the other. He laughed at her innocence.

Mary-Sue snatched her hand away, her blonde, braided pigtails flickering in the wind as she did. "Don't you laugh at me Bobby! My Pa ain't no liar, an' if he say there's swamp monsters then damn it-"

The two teens were stopped in their tracks as the still waters of the nearby swamp began to stir. They watched in horror as a moss covered creature emerged from the waters, looking ever as frightening as they felt. Its amber eyes burned into their blue ones causing them to tremble and cower.

"AH! IT'S A SWAMP MONSTER! I told you they existed, Bobby!" Mary-Sue screamed.

"I'll be damned!" Bobby gasped.

"Bra." The creature ground out with ire.

"I think he wants your bra, Mary-Sue!" Bobby was terrified.

"This here's the south! We don't wear bras!" And with that both teens ran away screaming bloody murder.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) *COVERED IN SWAMP GOO* I'm going to kill her. *FROG JUMPS OUT OF HIS ROBE***

_**Back at the party...**_

Bulma and Vegeta stood by the DJ booth waiting for the last bit of party guests to file in before they gave him the signal. Bulma adjusted her red blouse and skirt as she waited for the perfect moment.

"Bulma, give the signal already." Vegeta grumbled as he adjusted his red, satin tie. He refused to do the reversal that his wife suggested which was a red suit with a black tie. He would surely die first before doing so.

"Oh, _now_ your patience fades?" Bulma teased.

"Bulma, I have not slept in two days. I somehow managed to get Bra's desired catering service here and decorate this entire building all while managing to retain an iota of sanity. My patience is practically non-existent at this point." Vegeta complained.

"Aww, you love your daughter." Bulma pinched her husband's cheek, causing him to flinch slightly. "Alright, I think we're ready. DJ!" Bulma grabbed the microphone from the DJ. "Hello, everyone! Are you all having a good time?" Bulma wasn't surprised when over half of the crowd cheered their approval. "Alright, it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for. Your reason for being here tonight, the lady of the hour, my beautiful daughter, BRA!"

Just as Bulma announced her daughter's name, the DJ started Bra's processional music. Not surprisingly, she had chosen "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" by Lady Gaga. The whole room went dark as a single spotlight focused on the entrance where Bra was sitting upon an elevated throne being carried by four stocky, perfectly tanned, shirtless, men that looked as though they escaped from an _Abercrombie & Fitch_ ad. She appropriately wore a diamond-studded tiara and carried a matching scepter looking ever as regal and significant as her grandiose mind thought she was.

Dearka trailed behind the processional having been instructed by Bra to remain behind her at all times during or he would wish for death. He nibbled on his inner jaw as he dragged his feet behind his date. His eyes drifted toward the far corner of the club and he noticed a painfully bored Yzak sitting with Flay and Kira. A devious smile found its way to his lips as he retrieved his cell phone from his inner breast pocket and began dialing. "Hey. Yeah, you can come in now." Ending the call he returned the device to his pocket and suddenly felt even more eager to proceed with the events of the evening.

_**Table Urameshi...**_

"Well, she wasn't lying when she said she'd be making a 'big entrance.'" Keiko sighed as she, Yusuke, Hiei and Pan all witnessed the birthday girl enter into the ballroom area from their table.

"The foolish girl obviously has a distorted view of royalty." Hiei commented dryly.

"Oh you don't know the half of it. Her dad made the mistake of telling her that he was the Prince of the Saiyans, and she's been on this whole princess trip since she was wearing _Disney Princess_ underwear and reading Dr. Seuss." Pan rolled her eyes as she toyed with the centerpiece.

"So, last week then?" Keiko joked generating chuckles from the rest of the individuals at the table.

"Hey, who's that?" Yusuke pointed towards a girl entering from the back entrance of the club. Her dark brown hair was pinned up into a bun with tendrils. She had the most striking eyes and wore a black, frayed evening dress that fell just above her ankles. The top of the dress sparkled with shimmering studs and fastened in the apex of her back. She carefully entered the ballroom area, moving like a cat, which Yusuke found quite interesting considering the hardware that she was wearing on her feet. The heels had to have been at least 3-inches in length, and strapped around her ankles. She held quite an elegant appearance and seemed to be looking for something. Or someone.

"I don't know. You think she's a crasher?" Keiko suggested with a hint of a smile in her voice. She was desperate for excitement.

"Nah, I think she's an invite. She looks like she's looking for someone." Yusuke observed as he continued to watch the girl's movements. He noted that when her eyes caught site of Kira's table she perked and headed toward that direction.

"Looks like she's going over to Kira's table. Think she knows one of them?" Keiko raised.

"Ahh, I think _I _know who she is!" Pan added with a devilish grin.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Ah Bra and Dearka. Ya know, the more those two hang out, the more I start to think that they're perfect for one another. Being as addicted to mischief and irritation as they both are.**

_**Table Yamato...**_

"Hey." The girl spoke to Yzak who had his eyes absently glued on Bra's now ending procession. He watched as flocks of party guests began to gather to the center as the DJ cued up "How Low" by Ludacris, the booming beats causing the table to vibrate slightly as the guests began to dance...err...grind with their dates on the dance floor.

"Hey." He spoke without turning to face her. Perking at the familiarity of her voice, however, he quickly decided to snap out of his daze and turned his head fervently into her direction. Immediately, his mouth was nearly in his lap as his blue eyes met with her gray ones.

"Hi, you looking for someone?" Kira regarded the girl.

"Yeah. This one." She answered with a smile as she pointed to Yzak.

"Yzak? You know her?" Kira's eyes widened. A little shocked that such a beautiful girl would even know Yzak, let alone be looking for him.

"S-Shiho." Yzak breathed her name as his mouth continued to gape in shock at her presence.

"She who?" Flay furrowed her brows.

"Shiho!" Shiho corrected the raspberry-haired girl sharply.

"You're my..." Yzak trailed.

"Date for the evening? Yep. I'm her." Shiho finished with confidence.

"How did you..." Yzak began, but quickly frowned once he realized who was behind this arrangement. "Elsman." He ground out irately.

"Gee, try not to sound so excited." Shiho replied sardonically as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah really, Yzak!" Kira chastised. "I'll bet Shiho traveled a long way to accompany you tonight. The least you can do is act...human."

"Fine." Yzak released an exasperated sigh. "Have a seat, Shiho." Yzak scooted closer to Kira in their booth to make room for his date, who gratefully accepted the seat.

"Why thank you, Yzak." Shiho smiled. "I'm sure that we'll have tons of fun tonight, you and me." She winked at the silver-haired Coordinator, causing a faint blush to tint his pale cheeks.

"Hm."

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) Mark my words. Cake won't be the **_**only**_** thing getting cut tonight. Elsman is a dead man! ***_**YES BECAUSE GOD FORBID HE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE ANY FORM OF HUMAN EMOTION**_*** I saw that. *FROWNS AT CAMERA***

_**Table Briefs...**_

"...So then he just breaks up with me out of nowhere, and even insults me just to make it sting. But it turned out that he was only doing it to save me in the future because apparently if he didn't break up with me I would've died or something in the future and Crystal Tokyo would've been taken over by the Negavurse and..." Trunks, Goten, and Aeka, all sat at their table forcibly listening to Serena ramble on and on about her light switch relationship with her boyfriend Darien. She had started with telling a story about moon children and her mother the Queen of the Moon, Serenity, and truly they had tuned her out by the time she got to her first meeting with her talking feline, Luna.

**Aeka: Tenchi Universe (Gals) Honestly, when the girl's not stuffing her mouth like a ravenous beast, she's running it non-stop at a criminally irritating capacity.**

"...And then my friend Rei tries to give me relationship advice but really if ya ask me she's the one that needed relationship advice being that she still had yet to figure out that Chad was totally in love with her at the time and-"

"Serena!" Trunks finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Hmm?" Serena crooned innocently.

"Would you please...take this gift and put it on the table with the others? I forgot that I bought an extra one." Trunks was prepared to break into a full rant about how he couldn't care less about Serena's boyfriend problems and that he would really prefer not to hear her voice for the rest of the evening. But knowing how sensitive she was and deciding that a whining, crying Serena would be one-hundred times worse, he quickly changed his mind.

"Sure thing!" Serena chimed as she retrieved the small rectangular item from Trunks' hands and trotted towards the gift table.

"Dude! THANK you!" Goten sighed in exasperation. "I was seriously THIS close to kamehameha'ing my way out of this one."

"You wouldn't dare use such a technique on such a delicate girl!" Aeka gasped in disbelief.

"Oh not for her. I meant for myself!" Goten finished as he made a gunfire gesture to his cranium.

"If it get's to that point, promise you'll do me first." Trunks groaned.

"You boys are impossible. Come on Trunks, perhaps a little dancing will take your mind off of Serena's torturous conversational skills!" Aeka perked as she grabbed a surprised Trunks by the wrist, leading the lavender-haired half-Saiyan onto the dance floor, the DJ cuing up "Hotel Room Service" by Pitbull as the two danced their way to the center.

"Wait! No, don't leave me with he-heeey Serena!" Goten greeted the blonde pigtailed Sailor Scout passively as she returned to the table.

"What happened to Trunks and Aeka?" Serena questioned.

"Dancing." Goten answered, trying his best to maintain his extremely forced smile.

"Aw, they're gonna miss my story about how Darien and I finally got back together for the third time." Serena stated soddenly.

"Darn." Goten sighed in mock empathy.

"Oh well, I'll just tell you then! So I start having these really weird dreams about me and Darien getting married right. And in every dream I swear there's like this thing..."

"Damn it." Goten muttered helplessly under his breath as Serena continued her sinfully boring story that was bordering on being cruel and unusual.

**Goten: Dragbonball GT (Guys) I guess I could say I've been on worse dates. Oh wait, no I can't! Serena was the date from Hell! You know the one that never stops talking? Yeah, that one. *ROLLS EYES***

_**Table Wolf...**_

"What the hell do they expect us to do with this crap they're serving?" Kiba griped as he glanced over the menu along with Hige, Blue and Cheza, who was not fond of the loud, aggressive music.

"Umm, eat it maybe?" Blue answered with dry sarcasm.

**Cheza: Wolf's Rain (Gals) This One did not like the music at the gathering. This One is used to singing lullabies to wolves. The music...This One believes it is called 'Pop' is appropriately named. For This One could feel the inner workings of This One's ear canal beginning to pop with every rhythmic intrusion. **

"Vegetable Lo Mein, Lasagna, Sukiyaki, Chicken Quesadillas, Buffalo Wings...buffalo don't have wings! What the hell is this?" Kiba pushed the menu away distastefully. "No venison anywhere. This party is crap!"

"Might I ask what you've been surviving on the entire time we've been in Florida?" Blue furrowed her brows.

"_Alpo_." Hige answered with a chuckle.

"SHUT-UP Hige! You swore you wouldn't say anything!" Kiba growled. He was especially irritated being that he had to project himself in a black suit and tie that he saw while browsing in _Macy's_. But their failure to provide acceptable food was the last straw.

"Calm down. Cheza doesn't know what _Alpo_ is, and Blue's my girlfriend so naturally I have to tell her everything. Don't be such a tight-ass." Hige waved his hand dismissively towards Kiba. He, on the other hand, was hardly bothered by the fact that he had to project himself in a tan suit and green tie. In fact, he quite liked the look.

"I'm sorry, Hige. I'm your what?" Blue turned to face the chubby wolf, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat at her challenging tone.

"Yeah, Hige. She's your what?" Kiba instigated in a singsong voice, earning a death glare from Hige.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) I don't ever remember agreeing to such an arrangement. So maybe he was going by one of his fantasies. You know how you dream about something and end up thinking it actually happened? This phenomenon is also amplified with heavy drug use. **

There was dead silence for a moment save for the pounding rock beats of "Let it Rock" by Kevin Rudolf being skillfully mixed with the previous song. Hige knew that he had slipped up and verbalized an inner-fantasy about Blue to his table and was immediately embarrassed for the blunder. And so he did the only thing that he knew to do when involved in a conversational faux pas; he changed the subject. "Man! So how much do you think the Department of Health would freak out if they knew wolves were sitting down to dinner in a public setting? Talk about 11 o'clock news fodder!" He blurted with an awkward chuckle.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Okay. He's an idiot. I don't even have a punchline for that one. Hige **_**is**_** the punchline.**

_**Table Higurashi...**_

"I don't get it. Why is our table under _your_ name?" Inuyasha griped as he lazily fiddled with the card that read 'RESERVED FOR HIGURASHI PARTY.'

"Because I'm the only one out of the four of us that has a last name." Kagome sighed as she applied her pink shimmer lip gloss, adjusting the stick comb that held her hair up and bobbing her head to the music.

"That's not true, we have last names!" Sango complained eying Miroku for support. She noticed that he could only give her a helpless look causing her to come to a disturbing realization. "Oh my god! We don't have last names! What the hell?" Sango shrieked.

"Well, considering the fact that you guys are from Feudal Japan and only noble elites had surnames in that time-"

"Oh so now we're just peasants to you, Kagome?" Sango grumbled.

"Hey, don't get mad at me. Blame our writers for being too lazy to think up some for you guys, even if it is just based on principle." Kagome shrugged as she sipped her water.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Hmm. Now that I think about it, it is quite a shame that we don't have last names. After all, I'm a respected monk and Sango's a renowned demon slayer and we're both major characters. If I recall, Amari Nobunaga was given a full name and he wasn't exactly from a "noble" family, not to mention the fact that he held little to no significance to our storyline whatsoever. So that whole Feudal Japan no last names for the "poor" argument is complete bullBLEEP to say the least. *POUTING***

"This is terrible." Sango was beyond upset.

"Look, don't sweat it! If you want, I can make up last names for you guys!" Kagome offered.

"Thanks, but I'd like to come up with my own." Sango declined.

"Agreed." Miroku concurred.

"Okay then, while you guys are doing that, me and Inuyasha are gonna boogie it up on the dance floor!" Kagome stood to her feet extending her hand to Inuyasha. The DJ was playing "Love Shack" by The B-52's, one of her favorite songs. So of course she had to shake it up a bit.

"Huh?" Inuyasha gulped.

"Don't you wanna dance with me?" Kagome asked dejectedly.

"Umm..." Inuyasha's face slowly began to develop a crimson hue as he started toying with the hem of his black suit jacket.

"Oh my god." Kagome started with a warm smile.

"What?" Inuyasha questioned nervously.

"You don't know how to dance." Kagome giggled.

"I do too!" Inuyasha retorted. Seeing Kagome's raised eyebrow, he finally decided to cave. "Okay, fine. I don't know how."

"HA! I knew it! Come on!" Kagome grabbed the hanyou by his jacket sleeve, as she led him to the dance floor.

"Wha-Kagome!" Inuyasha protested.

"It's time ya learned!"

"Oh BLEEP."

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I'd rather spend a night locked in a closet with Naraku armed with nothing but chopsticks and my dignity. Dancing? Me? Was she in any way high?**

_**Table Elric...**_

"Ugh, I hate these stupid clothes!" Ayame complained about her peach, knee-length, cocktail dress with floral designs. It was quite uncomfortable being that it only had one sleeve, and even it barely passed her right shoulder. She was truly out of her element.

"You're telling me! Try going from animal skins to a suit and tie!" Koga groaned as he adjusted his green tie.

"Well at least you look nice." Ayame complimented shyly.

"Thanks! So do you." Koga smiled warmly causing a faint blush to tint the female wolf demon's cheeks.

"Should we leave you two alone?" Winry teased as she and Ed snuggled up rather comfortably on their side of the booth. The blonde alchemist had his right arm draped lazily over her shoulder as she leaned into the embrace unconsciously. The two appeared as if they had been dating for years.

"You're one to talk." Android 18 interjected, as she gingerly sipped the coffee she ordered.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Ed huffed.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were either A) A loving couple, or B) Had the hots for each other. Honestly, Helen Keller would be able to notice it." Android 18 finished blandly, generating full-face blushes from both Ed and Winry.

"I..." Winry started anxiously.

"Uhh...I..." Ed swallowed, finding that his collar was becoming tighter around his neck. The two abruptly separated feeling beyond awkward.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I swear, we didn't even notice that we were being so...close. *BLUSHING UNCONTROLLABLY***

"Uhh, I'm gonna get punch!" Winry stated rushedly as she made a quick exit from their corner booth.

"Y-yeah, and...err...I'm gonna go and, talk to Goten. He looks like he could use some company!" Ed hastened.

"But he has Serena." Android 18 raised bemusedly.

"BETTER company!" Ed added as he trotted off.

"Eh, good point." Android 18 shrugged as she continued to slowly sip her coffee.

_**The "Royal" Table...**_

"Dearka, I'm out of punch." Bra gestured toward her empty glass sourly.

"That's a shame." Dearka added, not bothering to look at her as he nonchalantly scanned the menu.

"Aren't you going to get me some more?" Bra frowned.

"Let me think." Dearka lowered the menu to the table and raised his eyes to the ceiling quizzically. A smirk glided across his lips after a few moments of feigning deep thought. "Nope." He replied simply as he returned to browsing the menu.

"You're my date! You're supposed to service me tonight!" Bra whined.

"Oh believe me, I plan on doing exactly that." Dearka breathed with an amorous grin.

"Ugh! You're a pig you know that?" Bra folded her arms and began to commence her pouting session.

"Yeah, well this little piggy's not your personal slave. So either you're gonna have to thirst to death or make like a 'lowly commoner' and get the damn punch yourself." Dearka explained plainly, still refusing to look at her as he continued to view the menu, nodding his head in time with the upbeat rhythms of "Blah, Blah, Blah" by Ke$ha . "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what's in the cabbage rolls would ya? Other than cabbage of course."

Bra could do nothing but irately stare at the caramel-skinned, blonde that sat next to her with such a carefree demeanor. A part of her was beyond pissed that he was refusing to follow her orders. And yet there was that other part.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I couldn't believe that he actually had the nerve to talk back to ME! On my birthday! Is he completely out of his mind? I mean, I thought Coordinators or whatever the hell they are, I thought they were supposed to be like super smart. Instead, he chooses to totally diss me, on my sweet sixteen, at MY party, which if you ask me is pretty freaking stupid! He's so arrogant, and so rude, and so...soo...freaking...HOT! *EYES TURN INTO BIG OBNOXIOUS PINK HEARTS***

"Sauerkraut." Bra stated almost dreamily.

"What was that?" Dearka raised as he flipped through the menu.

"These ones are made with sauerkraut." Bra reiterated in what was definitely a more dreamy tone.

"Ick. No thank you." Dearka slowly began to get the feeling that he was being shamelessly stared at. Allowing his eyes to drift to his left, he noticed that Bra was honing in on his position like an EAF soldier in a stolen Gundam. He finally decided to face her fully. "Uhh, is there a problem?" Dearka questioned warily but Bra failed to answer and only continued to stare at him with an unreadable expression. "Bra?" Dearka pressed. "Geez, what the hell was in that punch?" Dearka perked as he picked up her empty glass examining it like an archaic, archeological find.

"You..." Bra began slowly, gaining his attention once more.

"I what?" Dearka prodded.

"You...are so hot right now."

"Ya don't say?" Dearka replied with a sly grin.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) Yeeeah, I tend to have that effect on chicks. *MUSING PAUSE* Except for Miriallia. I think she's broken or something. Either that or she's a lesbian. Then again, even THEY can't resist my charms. This has been tested and approved by me of course. *CONCEITED SMIRK***

"Crowning ceremony's in half an hour." Bra raised with a knowing smirk that could rival Dearka's.

"Wanna make out in the VIP room?" Dearka proposed wantonly.

Nibbling on her lower lip, Bra quickly rose from her 'throne' as she and Dearka hurriedly started toward the back VIP area only to be stopped by...

"Where are you two headed off to?" A raspy baritone voice questioned them from behind.

Bra immediately knew who it was that interrogated them, and inwardly cringed slightly before turning to face him. "Oh hi Daddy! Didn't see ya there!" Bra tried to put on her best innocent little angel routine.

"From what I understand, you are to remain in the 'royal chambers' until the crowning ceremony." Vegeta made air quotes at the mentioning of 'royal chambers' in reference to her and Dearka's table.

"Oh I know, but you know me, always bending the rules ever so slightly. We were just gonna...check out the rest of the club. I mean, I did reserve the entire building, and I figured since it's basically mine for the night, I should get familiar with its architecture." Bra lied. By extraordinary coincidence the DJ then began playing "I Wanna Be Bad" by Willa Ford. How appropriate considering the circumstances.

"Is that so?" Vegeta narrowed his eyes into his daughter's direction.

"Daddy, would I lie to you?" Bra widened her eyes and made a pouty face which was just enough to turn her father into putty.

"Of course not." Vegeta sighed. Allowing his eyes to venture over towards Dearka, he immediately began to size the boy up. "So this is the fellow, hm?"

Dearka instantly became nervous under Vegeta's scrutiny. Here he was an accomplice in the lies that would grant him the opportunity to go and make out with the man's daughter, and the two of them hadn't even gotten past the uncomfortable introductory stage yet. He could tell the man had quite the temper and would more than likely snap him like a twig for the sake of preserving his precious daughter's non-existent purity. He swallowed the lump that was developing in his throat before opening his mouth to speak, praying that his voice wouldn't crack and risk giving away the fact that he was scared out of his wits. "Y-yep. I'm that fellow! Fellow am I! Just a mellow fellow. H-hello! Hey that rhymes! Mellow...hello..."

"Dearka you're babbling." Bra whispered to her date through gritted teeth.

"Bra, this man is terrifying." Dearka whispered back.

"Just chill." Bra calmly reassured.

"I'm Dearka." Dearka finally decided to introduce himself.

Vegeta only continued to study the boy as if he were an abstract painting. He watched him as he drew out a yawn. Narrowing his eyes toward the blonde's mouth, he was pressed to ask another question. "What is that device on your tongue?"

"Huh?" Dearka turned beet red once Vegeta acknowledged his tongue ring.

"Okay, Daddy, I hate to cut this short but, we've got very little time to...explore the building until the crowning ceremony so, I'll see ya later! Love ya!" Bra quickly changed the subject. And with a quick peck to her father's cheek, she and Dearka made their swift, innocent exit toward the VIP rooms to engage in some not so innocent activities.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I don't know any guy that can get back in the mood for making out after an encounter with a chick's father like that! *AWKWARD PAUSE* Except for me. *GUILTY GRIN***

_**Table Minamino...**_

"You know I must admit this party isn't as bad as I anticipated." Botan smiled as she bobbed her head to the pop beats of "Naturally" by Selena Gomez. She had to be honest. She liked the beat and the song made her want to move. "And this music. Ooh Kuwabara, let's dance!" Botan chirped.

"No." Kuwabara snorted.

"Oh why not?" Botan poked the orange-haired boy in his side, causing him to flinch at the tickling sensation.

"Because, I don't dance to Disney pop music." Kuwabara explained.

**Kuwabara: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) What does she take me for? Some kinda pansy? Hmph! I may like kittens and anything cute and fuzzy, but I draw the line at Disney pop music!**

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud. Besides, I saw you tapping your foot under the table." Botan winked generating a heavy blush from her date for the night.

Kuwabara could feel his face becoming flushed, the fact that Yukina and Kurama were obviously trying to stifle laughter was not helping his embarrassment in the least. He had to think of a cover, and quickly. "S-so, what of it? I tap my foot from time to time! It's called involuntary muscle movement and it's perfectly normal! Doesn't mean I like the song."

"Well, your 'involuntary muscle movements' happen to have the very distinguishable ability to keep time with music, Kuwabara." Botan teased.

Allowing his eyes to graze over the occupants of his table and noting their unconvinced expressions, he realized that he had been caught, and finally surrendered. Rising to his feet with a defeated expression, he took Botan's hand and made his way onto the dance floor like a good sport.

"That's more like it!" Botan praised as she and Kuwabara began dancing.

"This stays out of our school halls, ya got it?" Kuwabara demanded through gnashed teeth.

"You can count on me!"

_**Table Urameshi...**_

"Holy BLEEP, is Kuwabara dancing to Disney pop music?" Yusuke brightened with widened eyes.

"Looks like." Keiko giggled. She noticed as Yusuke retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and began to hold up the back portion toward Kuwabara and Botan's dancing forms. "What are you doing?"

"I know about three dudes at school that could die happy upon seeing this!" Yusuke chuckled deviously as he pressed 'record' and proceeded to video the dancing couple with the small device.

"Yusuke, you're just evil." Pan smirked. "Why aren't we friends again?"

"And yet Koenma puts _me_ on punishment for evil deeds." Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Well in my defense, you did turn my girlfriend into a mindless slave and attempt to enslave humanity." Yusuke added dryly.

"Yes, but I had good reason. Humans are a mass of fools that serve no purpose whatsoever." Hiei folded his arms.

"Whatever little dude." Yusuke shrugged as he continued to video Kuwabara with his cell phone.

"Wait, you turned his girlfriend into a mind slave?" Pan was shocked.

"Hn." Hiei nodded showing no sign of remorse.

"What is that like some sort of weird S&M thing you demons favor?" Pan queried causing Keiko to spit out her water, and Yusuke to cease his filming to double over into uncontrollable laughter.

"NO you stupid girl! I don't even know what that is!" Hiei growled.

"It's stands for sadomasochism. It's a fetis-"

"Don't EXPLAIN it to him!" Keiko interrupted with a mortified expression plastered upon her face.

"Why not? He's gotta learn about the essentials of The Human World sometime!" Yusuke retorted with a wide grin.

"That's hardly an 'essential' of The Human World!" Keiko scoffed.

"I'm sure there are plenty that are into that who would disagree with ya." Yusuke winked suggestively causing Keiko to excuse herself from the table. "Aw come on Keiko! It was a joke!" Yusuke then followed behind the brown-haired girl who was proceeding toward the gift table.

"Whatever. I don't care." Hiei brooded. He then noticed that he and Pan were alone at their table and he immediately felt awkward.

Pan could sense the tension rising between the two of them in their solitude causing her to twiddle her fingers to bide time. She watched as Hiei made a conscious effort to avoid looking at her by focusing his attention on the dancing crowd as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) It had been an hour and Hiei still refused to even acknowledge my presence. I know the guy hates me but he could at least PRETEND to have manners to avoid looking like the jerk that he is!**

Releasing an exasperated sigh, Pan finally couldn't take it anymore and stood to her feet having decided to distance herself from the small Fire Demon. "I'm gonna go and find Bra. Her crowning ceremony's in fifteen minutes." Pausing as if to give him the opportunity to respond in some way or another, she could only roll her eyes at his antisocial disposition and instead left him sitting at their table alone.

Little did she know, however, that under the table Hiei's knee had been on the fritz as it began bouncing anxiously. A faint rose tint slowly began to develop on his cheeks. Could it be? Did the little Fire Demon have a bit of a crush? On Pan, no less?

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I hate parties. *INSERT EMO BROOD SESSION HERE***

_**Razzle's...**_

Kurama had managed to get Yukina about a foot near the dance floor, the blue-haired Ice Maiden being quite nervous at the prospect of public dancing being that she wasn't familiar with the activity at all.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Kurama had been trying to persuade me to join him in dance with the others, but I was very uneasy. I had never danced before. Not even naked in front of the mirror as Faye had once joked about doing several times. **

"I don't know Kurama. I'm not sure as to how I would...move." Yukina nibbled on her thumbnail shyly.

"It's quite fun to do. But I can understand the unfamiliarity causing you discomfort." He saw Lacus approaching her table not too far from their location. "Hmm. Perhaps a demonstration will help to quell your anxieties."

"Hmm?" Yukina spared the redheaded kistune a questioning gaze.

"Just a moment." Kurama then made his way toward Lacus, who from her looks of disappointment, was obviously not being properly entertained by her date, Wufei.

"Hello, Lacus." Kurama greeted the pink-haired pop diva with a warm smile.

"Oh, hello Kurama!" Lacus perked, feeling a bit surprised that Kurama approached her suddenly. Her skin trembled slightly once she felt him palm the bare flesh of her shoulder.

"Hi Kurama." Cagalli sighed. Her and Athrun were still managing to allow their differences to ruin their night.

"Are you all having a lovely time tonight?" Kurama questioned.

"Delightful." Cagalli answered with bland sarcasm.

"Hmm. Listen, Lacus. I'm trying to warm Yukina up to the idea of dancing in public. She's unsure of how 'to move.' Would you mind just demonstrating for her the basic steps? I'm afraid the others' gyrating has her feeling a bit terrified." Kurama's emerald eyes burned into her blue-gray ones causing her to internally melt. As if she could say no.

"Certainly."

"That is, of course, if it's alright with your date for the night." Kurama regarded Wufei.

"Take her. Please." Wufei gave him a desperate look. Apparently, Lacus' social butterfly nature was not sitting well with him.

"Alright then. Shall we?" Kurama offered his arm to Lacus who bashfully looped her own through the opening. The two then proceeded to the dance floor to commence their 'demonstration.'

"A whole hour, and you have yet to ask _me_ to dance." Cagalli complained to Athrun who was enjoying the last bite to what was quite a massive slice of lasagna.

"Well your attitude tonight hasn't exactly been the most inviting." Athrun retorted.

This exchange provoked Wufei into action. For he knew that it would turn into yet another one of their thirty-minute banter wars and he was just not in the mood to tolerate such for a second time. He then retrieved his salad and dinner forks from the table, holding them up for the two quarrelling lovers to see. "Either you get your asses on the dance floor or so help me god I'm going to fork you both." Wufei commented darkly.

Staring at the Chinese boy for a spell in shock, they decided it best to leave him alone for a while. "You know, that was a lot of lasagna, I could use the work out. Cagalli!" And with that, Athrun pulled himself and Cagalli away from a rather hostile Wufei.

"Ah, the peace." Wufei sighed.

"He's a real ball of sunshine isn't he?" Cagalli chuckled as she and Athrun began to move to the laidback beats of "Tie Me Down" by New Boyz featuring Ray J.

"I don't think that you should be pointing fingers, dear." Athrun laughed.

"Ya know, before this competition, you used to like my feisty personality." Cagalli frowned.

"I never said that." Athrun cocked an eye.

"You stuck around. You didn't need to say anything. You're being there for me said a million words on its own." Cagalli's eyes grew softer.

"Ooh, feeling sentimental?" Athrun smirked earning a shrug from the blonde girl. "Don't think it's gonna reel me back in. Your feminine charms don't work on me." Athrun's tone was sultry.

"What feminine charms? You thought I was a guy when we first met!" Cagalli moved in closer until she could feel his breath on her forehead.

"You know what I mean. If you're trying to seduce me it won't work. Your efforts are futile." Athrun took a step closer as the two continued to dance to the music.

"Oh really?" Cagalli smirked playfully and quickly began to laugh once he started mouthing the words to the chorus of the song as if to be talking to her directly. She could only shake her head at his silliness. He was so cute when he was trying to be funny. Suddenly she felt his arm wrap around her waistline, his fingers teasing the bit of exposed flesh at the center of her back. Drawing her in closer as he continued to playfully lip sync with the music he finally gave in and before either of them realized they were kissing in the middle of the dance floor.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) Yeeeah. So we're back together now. *BLUSHES***

"Alright Yukina, it's rather simple. Just watch, alright?" Kurama reassured the Ice Maiden as she stood to the side of the dance floor.

"O-okay." Yukina nodded and watched as Kurama lead Lacus onto the dance floor. He began with skillful movements that were simple but smooth, as he held onto one of Lacus' hands while the two of them moved in sync with the music.

"I've been meaning to talk to you." Kurama spoke suddenly as he and Lacus continued to move to the beat of the music.

"Yes? About what?" Lacus questioned.

"About your little prank that you and your team pulled yesterday." Kurama's tone grew serious. Was he upset with her?

"I know that it was childish, but you must understand-"

"The prank itself isn't what bothers me. It's the fact that you used our very private conversations as an excuse to execute the prank." Kurama turned her around so that her back was facing him. He then leaned in to whisper hotly into her ear. "I'm very disappointed, Lacus. I told you those things in confidence. Had I known you would engage in a vendetta against us, I would have never started this...thing we have going on between us."

"What thing?" Lacus swallowed. She could feel his breath on her ear and it was making her hot and bothered to say the least. She almost died internally when the DJ switched to "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx; a song with a more sensual beat not to mention lyrics. He continued to move her in front of him but kept her back to him, it was a rather interesting position to say the least.

"Whatever this...thing is. This friendship, flirtship, whatever you wish to call it, it indeed holds its own level of intimacy." Kurama then spun her once again so that she was facing him. "And it's not nice to use our vulnerabilities against one another for means of personal gain." Kurama was once again serious.

"I understand. You think that I'm using you." Lacus was serious as well.

"I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't hesitant to share anything else with you, not to mention my questioning how genuine you are."

Lacus moved closer to him so that their noses were almost touching. She looked deep into his eyes before parting her lips to speak. "Don't mistake my temperamental shortcomings for deceit. I assure you that this...'thing' is quite real." And with that she quickly separated from him, needing to cool herself down with about a gallon of punch.

Yukina could only stare from the side as she watched the two demonstrate dancing before her. Furrowing her brows, even she could tell that there was something odd going on between the two of them. Although she wasn't quite sure as to what. "Was that supposed to happen?"

Meanwhile, Pan continued to search high and low for the birthday girl to no avail. She was getting tired of having to practically shovel her way through the many bodies present that night as she nearly searched every nook and cranny of the building. Her eyes caught sight of Yzak who was standing adjacent to the bar suggestively chatting up the pretty brunette that Yusuke identified earlier. Slithering her way through the crowd, she finally made it over to them. "Hey, Yzak!"

Trying his best not to reveal his irritation at hearing her voice, the silver-haired Coordinator released an inaudible sigh and turned to face the small girl in front of him. "What is it, Pan?"

"Where's Bra?" Pan questioned as she nodded toward the other girl in greeting.

"What makes you think I'd know, or care for that matter?" Yzak replied sharply as he sipped his punch.

"Well, Dearka's her date, and being that you're his best friend I figured-"

"Look, I am not Dearka's keeper. He's a big boy. He doesn't need to report all of his activities to me." Thinking for a moment, Yzak quickly came to a thought about Bra's possible whereabouts. "Wait, Dearka's missing, too?"

"Yeah. He's her date so wherever he is, she's probably with him." Pan explained.

"Uh-oh." Yzak scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"What?"

_**Naughty moments in VIP...**_

"That tickles!" Bra released a rather girlish giggle as she felt Dearka's pierced tongue tickling her earlobe. The two were cuddled up on a black, suede couch in the VIP area that was quickly turning into a miniature love shack. "Careful, don't smudge my make-up!" Bra snipped as Dearka began trailing aggressive kisses against her jawbone. She then felt him raise his head, his lips leaving her skin momentarily causing her to moan in protest.

"Are you aware that you've been talking the entire time we've been back here?" Dearka grumbled.

"Yeah so?" Bra folded her arms defiantly.

"So, quite frankly I'm sick of hearing your yapping. Besides, I've got a better job for that mouth of yours." Dearka leaned in to place his lips onto hers only to be violently pushed away, much to his dismay.

"No! I told you, I don't want you smudging my lipstick! I've already applied twice tonight, and it's perfect this time!" Bra whined.

"Oh come on!" Dearka raised his hands in exasperation. This girl was impossible. She couldn't even make-out peacefully. Unbelievable.

"Look, just go back to doing that thing you were doing to my ear!" Bra ordered.

Releasing a burdened sigh, Dearka leaned in once more. "You mean this?" Dearka questioned huskily as he once again began lightly teasing her earlobe with the tip of his tongue and ball of his tongue ring.

"Yeeeah..." Bra sighed dazedly as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Suddenly, the curtain that concealed the two of them was forcefully pushed aside as a rather muscular and pissed man discovered the two teens on the other side. "What the hell! What's going on here?" Came his booming voice.

The raspy baritone voice caused both individuals to start and break away from one another. "Daddy!" Bra squeaked.

"Daddy?" Dearka gulped.

"Come here boy!" Vegeta lunged towards Dearka who quickly dodged the assault.

"Oh BLEEP!" He shrieked as he ran toward the back of the club searching for the nearest exit.

"No Dearka! Don't run! He can fly!" Bra warned but was too late as Vegeta immediately took flight and proceeded to chase after Dearka.

"Come here you little punk! I've got OVER 9,000 various ways in which to kick your ass for this!"

"9,000?" Dearka shrieked as he decided to head for the front, making an attempt to get lost in the crowd instead.

"No Daddy! My party! Don't ruin my party! Wait until after it's over to kill him! Please!" Bra pleaded to her father who barely managed to calm down.

"Fine then." Vegeta agreed lowly, his dark eyes boring into Dearka's violet ones.

Dearka held a chair in front of him nervously as a shield as the Saiyan Prince stared daggers into his direction. "Holy BLEEP." He whispered to himself.

"This isn't over, boy. Rest assured that by the end of this party, you will be dead. Come now, Bra, it's almost time for your crowning ceremony." Vegeta instructed as he made his exit toward the front of the club.

"Bra. What the hell?" Dearka protested.

"What?" Bra gave him a strange look.

"You didn't even try to help me. You even suggested that he kill me AFTER your stupid party!" Dearka griped.

"Oh please. Like you're surprised. You know my bitchyness is what makes me even hotter to you." Bra rolled her eyes.

Pondering for a moment, Dearka placed the chair that he was holding down before shrugging in apathy. "Yeah, you're right."

"Move it, loser." Bra ordered.

"After you, Cruella." Dearka extended his arm in front of him to guide his date back to the front. She stuck her tongue out when she passed him.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) Being that I'm gonna die tonight, I've made a list of my personal belongings and where I wish for them to go succeeding my death. *PULLS OUT A PIECE OF PAPER THAT HAS THE WORD 'PAPER' ON IT* Here, you can have this sheet of paper. The rest of my stuff is protected and booby-trapped. Not even Indiana Jones could get to it. If I sound selfish...I am.**

_**Razzle's...**_

Guests still crowded the dance floor as "Rude Boy" by Rihanna filled the room with its Rastafarian beats. Hilde and her friend had decided to ignore Duo's constant innuendo jokes and instead chose to have fun amongst themselves on the dance floor, leaving the ex-Deathscythe pilot to dance on his lonesome.

"Wow, you're really good, girl!" Hilde complimented her friend who moved her hips to the music in a way that only a native to the Caribbean could do correctly.

"Thanks! I used to wanna be in our festivals when I was little. I watched the dancers a lot!" Cenia answered as she moved like fluid towards the ground, gyrating her hips and then bringing herself back up in a way that was almost sensual. This of course caught the eye of Duo, who was not too far from the girls as they continued to dance together.

"Damn." Duo breathed huskily as he, among a few other males in the crowd, hungrily continued to watch Cenia execute many a questionable Caribbean dance moves.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Okay, before I wasn't really paying attention to her and was only teasing with the threesome jokes. But after that little display on the dance floor, she DEFINITELY caught my attention. *LICKS LIPS***

"Umm, Cenia..." Hilde started warily.

"Yeah?" Cenia questioned as she continued to dance with her friend.

"I think you might have a bit of an...audience." Hilde gestured toward a few guys in the crowd.

"Oh geez. This definitely isn't like home. Dancing like this isn't such a big deal." Cenia then decided to dance in a more tame fashion.

"Yeah well, what can I say? American guys are horny." Hilde sighed as she moved her hips to the music.

"I'll say." Cenia rolled her eyes. She then caught sight of Duo watching her, his gaze longing and dare she say...sexy. "Hmm." He had been getting on her nerves for most of the night, and trying to make her uneasy. And so she decided to return the torment by visually teasing him. "Oh yeah." Positioning herself so that the braided boy could see her clearly, she decided to put on a bit of a show for him. Payback was indeed a bitch.

Duo could tell that she was doing it on purpose. However, that didn't mean that it wasn't working. "It's not nice to tease." He said playfully under his breath. Catching her eyes and seeing the invitation in them, he finally decided to march his way over to her, grabbing her swiftly by the wrist and guiding her off of the dance floor to an unknown location in the back of the club.

This of course caught the attention of Hilde, who could only shake her head at the sight of Duo pulling her friend away from the party. "I told her to stop dancing like that." She sighed helplessly, ironically continuing to dance in the exact same fashion, gaining the lewd attention of the males on the dance floor.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) MEN! Ugh, I swear. You can't even dance sexy in front of them without them getting excited. And they say women are easy.**

Just then the music was stopped causing everyone to focus their attention near the DJ booth. There they saw Bra's mother, Bulma standing with microphone in hand, preparing to make an announcement.

"Hello again! I trust that you all are having fun tonight, yeah?" Bulma questioned and was rewarded with a barrage of 'yeahs' and other various cheers. "Good! Well, as you know we are here to honor my lovely daughter Bra on her sixteenth birthday!" Bulma, along with many of the other party guests broke into an applause. "And part of tonight's events includes the crowning ceremony which entails the cutting of the cake and the coronation. This will symbolize her transition into womanhood. The princess will then become queen as she is presented with her grand birthday present from both her father and myself! So are you ready?" Bulma questioned the crowd who responded with an enthusiastic 'yeah.' "Alright, then let's bring her out! Bra, it's time for your coronation into womanhood!"

Upon hearing her cue, Bra rose from her throne onto the stage where her mother and father were standing. Carrying her scepter by her side, she stood between the two of them, eagerly awaiting for the ceremony to continue. Just then, to her left, she saw the caterers roll out her cake, which was baked into the shape of a very elaborate, 4-foot tall, pink, castle. The castle's banner read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRA' in red frosting, the top of the castle being impaled by a red sparkler. Appropriately, a wave of 'oohs' and 'aahs' began to filter throughout the spacious room. Suddenly, the loud and obnoxious squeals of teenage girls could be heard as an angelic counter-tenor began the Happy Birthday Chorus.

"_Happy biiiiirthday...tooooo youuuu._"

"Ohmygod it's Justin Timberlake!" Kylie, one of Bra's friends squealed from the crowd. The four girls began bouncing up and down as the pop-singer bellowed out his ballad.

Bra could feel her entire body becoming flushed as the famous singer grew closer to her, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hand as he continued to sing his ode to her. "Oh god." Bra breathed with widened eyes.

"_Happy biiiirthdaay...tooooo youuuuu._"

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) They got me Justin FREAKING Timberlake? I LOVE MY PARENTS! AAAAH!**

"Can't he go to jail for this?" Android 17 questioned Yusuke as they all watched the display on stage.

"Nope. People like him are above the law 17. You know that." Yusuke stated.

"Says who?" Android 17 furrowed his brow.

"I think it's in the U.S. Constitution somewhere. True story." Yusuke shrugged.

"_Happy biiirthday...deeear Braaaa. Happy biiirthdaay...toooo youuuuu._ Happy Birthday, Bra." Justin spoke the last bit of his song and hugged Bra generating a bunch of 'awws' from the crowd. The caterers then gave Bra her sparkler before moving the cake near the dessert table.

"Alright, now it's time for the crowning ceremony." Bulma announced. The DJ then cued up "Coronation (Abridged)" by Christopher Tin, keeping the volume low so that Bulma's voice could still be heard. Vegeta then joined them once more, this time carrying a red velvet pillow that held a golden, diamond-crested crown upon its surface. "Bra, my beautiful daughter, you've come such a long way. You've proven to both myself, and your father that..."

"You're a total bitch." Yusuke whispered under his breath to Kuwabara who couldn't help but laugh at the quiet joke.

"...And so, now is the time for you to graduate from a girl to a young woman. You are no longer our princess, you are now, our queen." And with that, Bulma removed Bra's tiara, and gingerly replaced it with the crown that rested upon the pillow.

The crowd applauded Bra in her symbolic coronation of life. She could do nothing but smile as everyone in the room was made aware as to how special she delusionally knew that she was. She could feel her eyes beginning to burn, begging to release restrained tears. But she fought against the urge. God forbid she ruin her eye make-up at such an important moment in her life. Well, important by her standards at least.

"And now, for the revealing of our gift to you." Bulma started with a warm smile. "We were going to wait until your eighteenth birthday to give this to you, however, we feel that you're ready for it now."

"Ooh! Yay!" Bra gleamed with anticipation. She clasped her hands in front of her, eager to receive her grand birthday gift.

"Gentlemen." At Bulma's command, two men unveiled a large screen that stood behind them. Projected on the screen was a picture of a large skyscraper building.

"That's...Capsule Corps." Bra stated with a befuddled expression.

"That's right. Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at the new head honcho of Capsule Corps. Bra Briefs!" Bulma announced.

"HA!" Trunks blurted happily. He knew that his mother was moving him to Head of Engineering, being that she was ready to retire. However, he wasn't sure who his replacement was going to be. He had to laugh at the irony, being that he knew how torturously boring and stressful his job was.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) I swear. There's no justice that's more poetic! My job SUCKED! *LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY***

"You're kidding." Bra regarded her mother with a horrified expression. "You have to be kidding." Her eyes grew wider as her face became deathly pale. "Daddy please tell me she's kidding." She looked to her father for support who could only look away apathetically.

"It's not a joke dear. You're our new CEO! Congratulations!" Bulma smiled excitedly.

Bra, on the other hand, was far from smiles. "What kind of birthday gift is this? Where's my private jet and summer home in Paris? Where's my own personal fashion designer? Where's Zac Efron?" Bra was completely mortified. She couldn't believe that this was her grand birthday gift.

"Honey, this is it. This is your gift. Don't you like it?" Bulma furrowed her brows.

"Like it? This isn't a birthday gift, it's a nightmare! Traditionally, birthday gifts are like 'happy birthday, here's your horse and the ranch to go with it.' Not 'happy birthday, here's a job!'" Bra was furious.

"But dear, assuming ownership of Capsule Corps. is a great honor. And it'll teach you some responsibility." Bulma tried to lighten the situation.

"But I'm rich! I don't NEED responsibilities!" Bra fumed.

"Bra, honey-"

"NO! I don't believe this! You're the worst parents EVER!" And with that, Bra threw her sparkler onto the ground and stormed off stage towards the back of the club, quite infuriated that her birthday gift was beyond being unacceptable.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Do you have ANY idea, what the CEO does? My brother held that job, and as much of a workaholic as he is, even HE wanted to throw himself into the nearest volcano at the end of the day! If they think I'm signing on THAT dotted line, they're insane!**

**Bulma: Dragonball GT (Bra's Mom) Oh she'll sign. Because you see, we actually DID get her the private jet, summer home in Paris, and even a night with Zac Efron. But she needs CEO privileges in order to access them. Oh yeah. Don't mess with Mom and Dad, because we always win. *EVIL SMIRK***

"Wow, that's awesome!" Goten slapped five with Trunks as the two of them continued to laugh until their sides began to hurt from the pressure.

"Dude! My sister totally just got owned by our parents! On her BIRTHDAY! This is the best day EVER!" Trunks, who was now on his knees, could feel the tears coming to his eyes from laughing so hard.

Bulma couldn't believe how horribly Bra was taking the news. However, she felt it best not to let her ruin the party and kept the festivities going. "Alright then, without further ado, I present to you our first musical guest, Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake!" Bulma announced as the crowd went wild. The band then started up with the funky beats to "Love, Sex, Magic" as Ciara strut her way onto the stage and proceeded to do what she did best.

Yusuke and Hiei watched as Keiko and Pan cheered the singer on and mouthed the words to the song. They could only shake their heads at the display. This party had probably been the biggest that any of them had ever attended. Yusuke allowed his eyes to venture around the room. He noticed a couple of cast members, Snooki and The Situation, from _Jersey Shore_ executing their infamous fist pumps to the music. He mentally noted how ridiculous that looked. "Why the hell did she invite them?" Yusuke mumbled under his breath. His eyes then caught sight of Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt engaged in yet another one of their public verbal brawls. It was fairly obvious that they were desperate for attention. "Celebrities are weird." He then let his eyes rest back on Hiei and noticed that he was staring at Pan rather intensely. He couldn't understand why the Fire Demon had been giving her the cold shoulder the entire night. It was fairly obvious that he was interested, but as usual Hiei had to play the stubborn role and repress any feelings that resemble normalcy. "Hiei. Dude." Yusuke regarded the small demon.

"Hn?"

"Why don't you just talk to her, man?" Yusuke sighed.

"Who?" Hiei tried his best to seem oblivious.

"You know who. Pan! You've been avoiding that girl all night. What's up with that?" Yusuke queried.

"I think it's fairly obvious that I had no intentions of wasting four hours of my life with that pestiferous girl."

"If that's the impression you've been going for this whole time, you've been failing miserably." Yusuke informed with a chuckle.

"I beg your pardon?" Hiei arched an eyebrow.

"Look, I know you. Aside from Kurama, I'm probably one of the only guys on our team that truly does." Yusuke began.

"You're coming to some kind of point, I'm sure." Hiei added cynically.

"My point is, I know when you're hiding your real feelings. You do the same thing with Yukina. We all know you love her to death. I mean come on, she's your sister. Just the same, I can totally tell that you're interested in Pan, and this cold exterior you're putting up is only making you easier to read, little buddy." Yusuke explained with a wide grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hiei averted his eyes.

"You're like a book. You're already antisocial enough as it is. But when you start getting the warm and fuzzies you try extra hard to be cold and distant. Seriously man, come up with a better smoke screen." Patting his friend on the back, Yusuke walked up to join Keiko as the next musical guest, Lady Gaga, took the stage. The music video beginning to her song "Bad Romance" being her introduction caused the crowd to almost lose it.

"We love you Gaga!" Hiei heard one of the female party guests shout as the eccentric pop singer sang out the first notes of her song. He allowed his eyes to rest upon Pan's dancing form once again. She was so lively and full of life as she cheered on the famous singer, mouthing the opening chant along with Keiko.

He listened as Lady Gaga progressed to her first verse, concentrating on the lyrics. "_I want your ugly, I want your disease. I want your everything as long as it's free, I want your love. Love, love, love, I want your love!_" He continued to study the delicate features of Pan's face, tilting his head as he did so. She was smiling and he'd be lying if he said that her smile wasn't in any way aesthetically satisfying. No matter how much that little fact righteously irritated him. He listened as the song progressed to the chorus. "_You know that I want you. And you know that I need you. I want a bad, bad romance. I want your love and I want your revenge, you and me could write a bad romance..._" He couldn't understand what came over him, but he started toward the black-haired girl, tapping her on the shoulder.

Pan was a little startled at the feeling of someone tapping her on her shoulder. Turning to identify whomever it was that was trying to get her attention, she was shocked to see Hiei standing there, his eyes forcibly transfixed on Lady Gaga's performance. "Hiei? What do _you_ want?" Pan frowned.

"Come with me." He instructed flatly, failing to look at her.

"Uhh, why?" Pan placed her hands on her hips.

"Must you question everything?" Hiei was getting annoyed.

"In this case...definitely!" Pan growled.

"Fine then. Be that way." Hiei then turned on his heels, skillfully maneuvering his way through the crowd, not casting the small girl a second look.

"Hey!" Pan protested as she followed behind him. She was now curious as to what that whole exchange was about. Besides, Hiei was acting stranger than usual. "Come back here, you! You can't just ask me something like -excuse me, sorry." Pan apologized as she stepped on someone's foot. "Wait a minute!" Pan fought her way through the crowd, bumping into people as she did, and soon after, the two disappeared toward the back of the club.

Lady Gaga suddenly cut her song short, posing on stage as she peered out into the crowd. "Wait a minute. I'm feeling a little different tonight. I just feel like..._Hello, hello, baby you called I can't hear a thing..._"

The crowd was near insanity at the start of her next piece. Security had to be doubled at this point as the guards stood in front of the stage to protect the current performer.

"Ohmygod I love this song!" Keiko heard Flay call from behind her. She noticed that the raspberry-haired girl was no longer with Kira, but some blonde-haired, mullet wearing gentlemen with orange tinted glasses.

"_...I have got no service in the club you say, say. What-what-what did you say, oh you're breaking up on me. Sorry I cannot hear you, I'm kinda busy. K-kinda busy..._" As the beat came in, everyone in the crowd grew wild with excitement.

"Hey Yusuke, do you know who that guy is with Flay?" Keiko questioned her boyfriend.

"With Flay? It's no telling, really." Yusuke sighed.

"Good point."

"Are you having a good time!" Flay questioned her 'real' date for the night Michael, having ditched Kira about thirty minutes prior.

"Yeah, although, I think this is wasting our time. I don't have long before I have to go back! So we should probably leave now so that we can have enough time to do it!" Michael informed over the music, loud enough so that Miriallia, who was standing nearby with Heero, could hear.

"Ugh. Disgusting. How could she do that to Kira?" Miriallia questioned to herself sourly.

"Why are you friends with that girl?" Heero asked bitterly.

"I don't know. Look, I'm gonna try and find Kira and make sure he's okay. You don't mind do you?" Miriallia was sincere.

"No. It doesn't bother me. Technically, I'm already sort of...involved with someone else." Heero explained awkwardly.

"Oh that's right. Relena!" Miriallia remembered. "Okay then, I'll be back later."

Heero continued to watch the show and had to resist the urge to plug his ears from the screams once Beyoncé joined Lady Gaga on stage in a most dramatic fashion that is familiar with performances of this caliber. "Honestly."

_**Table Yamato...**_

Kira sat alone at his table appearing rather bored and dejected. He wasn't too bothered that Flay had ditched him for someone else. But it was the principle of the action that had him bothered. "Wow, two girls in two days. That's gotta be some kind of record." He sighed. He then saw Miriallia approaching from the distance and he perked up significantly. "Hey, Mir!"

"Wow, I'm surprised you're happy to see me. After all, we are at war with each other ya know!" Miriallia winked playfully.

"Oh, that's okay. I don't mind. Here, sit down." Kira offered her a space in the booth.

"I'm sorry about Flay." Miriallia placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, but it's really not that bad I mean, come on, it's Flay. I don't know if you've noticed but she's managed to become even more annoying since this competition started." Kira huffed.

"Oh I've noticed alright." Miriallia laughed. "I'm sure it makes it easier for you to get over her!"

"Oh I've been over her for a while now." Kira stated as a matter of factly.

"Then why are you sitting over here looking like someone just ran over your cat?" Miriallia placed her head on her knuckles as she turned to face him.

"I don't know. Just...stupid stuff." Kira shrugged, his mind going back to the memory of seeing Lacus with Kurama the other night.

"Care to share?" Miriallia offered.

"Ah, you don't wanna hear about my drama."

"Kira, if I didn't wanna hear about it, I wouldn't ask."

"Valid point." Kira looked at her sheepishly.

"Then I'm all ears. You can tell me anything. We may be competing in this game, but you're still my friend, regardless. I'll always be here for you, no matter what's going on." Miriallia assured.

Kira could only smile at her warmly. Miriallia always had a way of saying just the right thing. He was indeed lucky to have her as his friend. He noted how different and elegant she looked with her pinned up hair and strawberry champagne dress. She was truly an angel. He then realized that he was staring at her too long, and was instantly embarrassed. Averting his gaze, he decided that spilling his guts at that time was probably not the best of ideas. "You know what? I heard the cake was chocolate-caramel. Why don't we get some?"

"I'm not opposed to that!" Miriallia grinned as the two of them headed towards the dessert table where the caterers were currently in the process of serving up Bra's castle cake.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) What the hell is wrong with me? I was checking out my best friend! I swear formal wear does things to people. Really weird things!**

Stumbling from the back area, Ryoko finally decided to join the party once more. Obviously hammered, she had to support herself up by palming a nearby wall. "Now, this party's tolerable." She slurred. Her presence gained the attention of Julia, who had been idly watching the performance on stage from the back of the crowd. She backed up when everyone started getting riled up once they heard the introduction to "Video Phone."

"Hey!" Julia called towards Ryoko's obviously inebriated form.

"Oh heey, Julia. You enjoying yourself with the 'minors?'" Ryoko teased with a snorting laugh.

"Where's Spike? And Faye?" Julia questioned.

"Who?" Ryoko squinted in an attempt to unblur Julia's form.

"Spike and Faye! Where are they?" Julia was getting frustrated. She hadn't seen either of them for three and a half hours, and she was prepared to verbally wail on Spike for leaving her with Android 17.

"Oh them. Right. They're...around." Ryoko replied with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, I'll just find them myself. You're obviously going to be of no help in this condition." Julia started towards the back of the club, but was quickly stopped by the feeling of Ryoko grabbing her wrist.

"Hey, don't do that. Look. Look what I have." Ryoko reached under her dress, and pulled out another flask. "See, this'll...this'll make you feel better."

"I don't want your booze, Ryoko. I want Spike." Julia griped. She was not pleased with being denied the company of her boyfriend for three and a half hours.

"Yeah, I'm out anyway." Ryoko hiccupped. "But, don't...don't, go looking for them. Look, just...come with me. Let's...let's go talk." Ryoko lead Julia away towards the bar to 'talk.' As much as her drunken state would allow her that is.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) I knew where Spike and Faye were. And...and then I forgot. *PASSES OUT***

Dearka crept about the club, trying his hardest to dodge Vegeta. Bumping into Kurama, he literally felt his heart skip a beat being that every single body that he collided with felt like Vegeta's. "Oh, it's just you Kurama." Dearka sighed in relief.

"Dearka. Is everything alright?" Kurama questioned with concern. He noticed how Dearka continued to fervently scan the perimeters as if to be keeping a lookout for someone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Hey, have you seen Bra's dad around anywhere?" Dearka questioned warily as he practically cowered behind Kurama.

"Not since the crowning ceremony. Why?" Kurama arched an eyebrow.

"Oh. No reason." Dearka answered quickly.

"THERE YOU ARE, BOY!" Came Vegeta's voice from behind them.

"Oh BLEEP!" Dearka quickly darted off towards the back of the club to escape Vegeta's wrath.

"What's the matter? Afraid to face me like a man? The party's almost over you know! And I've decided to get an early start on incinerating you!" Vegeta growled as he chased after the blonde-haired Coordinator by flight.

"HEEEEELP MEEEE!" Dearka screamed as he ran top speed out of the club.

Kurama could only scratch his head in confusion at the display. Obviously, Dearka had done something to anger Bra's father. What specifically, he wasn't certain, but knowing Dearka, he had a feeling that whatever it was involved the man's daughter. "Oh dear."

"Well, the night's nearly over and I haven't managed to humiliate a single member of your team." Kurama heard Lacus' delicate voice sound from behind him, urging him to turn and face her. "So tell me Kurama, will I be rewarded for 'good behavior?'" Lacus gave him a challenging stare.

"That depends." Kurama smiled warmly. He then grabbed her hand into his own, and the two left the party for the night.

Many of the guests' parents were beginning to arrive to pick them up as the party came to a close. The exterior of the club was near chaos as everyone filed out of the building in order to head home. After a long talk with her mother, Bra decided to accept the CEO position. Though, she only did so for the 'privileges.' She was still very much so upset that her true birthday gifts came at such a high price which was her freedom to spend all of her parents' money without having to worry where it came from. Life did suck indeed.

_**Chilling out in Starfish...**_

"Phew! Am I glad _that's_ over!" Botan breathed. She was also relieved that Bra was so preoccupied with being angry about her parents' gift, that she didn't even realize that the only few amongst them that bought her a gift were, Trunks, Goten, Yukina, and Wufei. And Wufei only did so in order to hold true to his honor code. It had been a long day. It was a quarter to five in the morning when they woke up. She eyed the wall clock and noticed that it read 11:52p.m. A long day indeed.

"Ugh, tell me about it!" Sango interjected.

"Is it me, or is our villa more empty than usual?" Kagome raised observantly.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, I think we're definitely missing a few people." Keiko scratched her chin. "Where's Faye? And Pan? And Julia? What the heck? Bra, Lacus, Hilde, Winry...they _are_ aware the party's over right?" Keiko was becoming concerned.

"Well I don't know about the others, but I know Bra stayed behind to help her parents clean up." Android 18 added, causing everyone present to become white with shock and disbelief.

"Bra...helping?" Blue swallowed.

"Clean?" Serena had to clean her ears to make sure that she was hearing Android 18 clearly.

"Yep. Guess she's starting up with her 'responsibilities.'" Android 18 laughed.

_**Clean up time at Razzle's...**_

"...Here's my _Palm Pilot_, work phone, day planner, keys to my old office, and the to-do list that I never had a chance to get to." Trunks piled all of his workly duties and supplies into his younger sister's arms, her eyes widening at the abundant number of items written on the aforementioned 'to-do' list as its bottom swiftly brushed across her knees before hitting the floor.

Bra could only cast the bundle of items in her arms a mortified expression as she clasped onto them awkwardly to prevent from dropping anything important.

"Oh, and don't forget, your Monday through Thursday secretary's number is speed dial number one on the _Blackberry Storm_, and your Friday through Sunday secretary's number is speed dial number two on the _Smart Phone_." Trunks perked with an excited grin once he saw Bra's eyes droop at the fact that she now not only had to work, but she also had to work weekends. He was quite certain that she died a little inside at the thought. He couldn't be anymore happy to give his job away to someone else. All the better if that someone else was his younger, far more spoiled, little sister. "Make sure you don't leave any of this behind when this competition's over. They're extremely vital to your job. Oh and, try not to work _too_ hard!" Trunks finished with a wink.

Bra spared her elder a brother a defiant glare at his last statement. She watched him as he turned to exit the club before shouting her last retort. "You SUCK!"

"Yep! Love you too, sis!" And with a backwards salute, Trunks happily took his leave from the club to head back to what was left of his villa.

"Bra, honey, go help your dad take down the balloon net!" Bulma ordered from the kitchen where she was helping store leftover cake, and other cuisine.

At the sound of her mother's voice, Bra quickly took a step forward, only to lose her footing on the scroll that was the 'to-do' list of her newly acquired responsibilities and fall flat on her face. "Ow."

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) My life, is now officially a series of plagues.**

_**Back at Starfish...**_

"This One is very tired." Cheza yawned.

"I agree. Tonight was quite an adventure." Yukina sighed. She was slightly bothered with the fact that Kurama didn't see her into the villa. It truly was not like him.

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I had lost sight of Kurama not moments before the party ended. I do hope that he is alright. He did seem rather distracted tonight, and so I spent most of my time with Botan and Kazuma. They didn't mind. Kazuma was actually glad to have me around. But I am worried about Kurama. It's not like him to just disappear without prior notice.  
**

"Ugh, I have never partied this hard in my life!" Flay exclaimed. She had arrived thirty minutes before the rest of the girls and had already showered and was now comfortable in her pink, pajama tank and shorts. "For the next 24 hours, I am going to be in a coma!"

"Hey, what happened to that guy you left with?" Keiko questioned.

"Michael? He had to go back to his job at the STN-J. I only needed him for one thing." Flay explained nonchalantly.

"Flay!" Miriallia chastised.

"What? The guy's a computer tech. I needed him to fix my laptop." Flay started, causing both girls to widen their eyes in disbelief.

"Computer tech?" Miriallia swallowed.

"Yeah. That night I met him at _Razzle's_ he told me he would help me out. Turns out, my hard drive needed to be reformatted. Good thing I save all my stuff on flash drives. I'm pissed about my music though." Flay sighed.

"WAIT! You mean, you weren't trying to hook-up with him?" Miriallia blinked.

"What are you kidding? He's a total nerd! I do have _some_ standards." And with that, Flay headed upstairs to start that coma she had been rambling about not moments earlier.

"I don't believe it." Keiko was stunned.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I guess we overestimated her sleaziness. Go figure.**

"Ohh crap. I gotta lay down, princess." Ryoko groaned. She was beginning to think that she over did it with the alcohol. She could barely see straight.

"That's you get when you douse your internal organs in whiskey for three and a half hours." Aeka chided.

"Ohh." Ryoko crouched over, holding her gurgling stomach.

"My, you look simply dreadful. Go to bed, Ryoko!" Aeka commanded.

"Oh believe me. I have...every intention of doing so. If I could just feel my legs." Ryoko groaned.

"You can fly, you drunken fool!" Aeka ground out through gritted teeth.

"Oh right." Ryoko then decided to float her way up the stairs to head towards her bedroom. Opening the first door that she saw, she immediately realized that the room wasn't hers from the sight of the two individuals in bed. "Oops, wrong room." Shutting the door she started to the next room over, until she stopped suddenly. Her mind quickly registered what her eyes had just seen and she rushed back to the other door and reopened it. There they were, Spike and Faye, lying in bed, obviously nude and exhausted from what was probably hours of...activities. "Riiiiight..."

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) NOW I remember where Spike and Faye went! *GUILTY LAUGH* Uh-oh.**

A/N: If you're reading this, congratulations! You just made it through the longest chapter in this story thus far! How do you feel about yourself? Pat yourself on the back. Next chapter, the stars recount the events of Bra's party. New relationships begin to blossom (ooh la la), as the competitors prepare to have their vocal abilities judged in **Chapter 18: Anime Idol**. Can you guess what's gonna be going on there? Ta ta!


	18. Anime Idol

A/N: Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaaaaack! Are you ready to commence with the craziness that is this story? I know I am. I've been anxious to get these chapters up and running, and I hope that they're as entertaining to you to read as they were for me to produce them. I don't want to waste your time with a long author's note, so let's get started shall we?

**Disclaimer: **I own NONE of these characters!

**Song Disclaimer: **It's a surprise. ;)

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 18: Anime Idol**

_**Early (Monday) Morning in Starfish (8am...ish)...**_

"Okay so these are the rooms we have available, 2C, 4C and 4D. Of course there's always the pool house..." Keiko began to explain, with clipboard in hand, to the few of the boys whom her team had ended up having to accommodate as MTV's construction crew made repairs to White Shore that had been severely damaged due to Bra losing her temper. Trunks, Wufei, Android 17, Kiba, Hige, Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara all ended up having to take lodging in the girls' villa until the construction crew had finished their repairs.

"We call the pool house!" Yusuke raised as he gestured toward himself, Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara.

"Ookay." Keiko smiled wryly.

"You said the pool house has a couch bed, right?" Trunks questioned anxiously.

"Yeeeah." Keiko nodded slowly.

"I demand to room there as I refuse to be within the same four walls as my sister." Trunks volunteered fervently with widened eyes.

"Fine. Whatever." Keiko shrugged.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I don't get it. Don't they live together anyway? How odd. He is odd.**

"Okay, so the pool house is full which leaves suites 2C, 4C and 4D." Keiko raised, barely finishing her sentence before Wufei volunteered himself for a room.

"4C!" Wufei blurted.

"Okay, Wufei, that's right next door to Ryoko and Aeka who are in 4B." Keiko informed.

"That's fine." Wufei stated briskly.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) We all knew what damnation resided in 2B. We had no intentions of surrendering ourselves to such torment.**

"Alright. 2C and 4D-"

"I call 4D!" Android 17 raised.

"Well, that leaves 2C for Kiba and Hige." Keiko suggested blithely.

"Nope. It's cool. We'll just sleep outside the pool house on the lounge chairs." Hige let out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh you guys, come on! She's not going to bother you!" Keiko released an exasperated sigh.

"BullBLEEP!" Yusuke huffed.

"I'm serious. You guys are blowing this _way_ out of proportion." Keiko frowned.

"Oh I'm sorry Keiko, but it looks like your villa is in tact." Yusuke feigned cluelessness as he pretended to examine Starfish's ceiling. "What do you think guys? Do you see a ceiling? Because I think I see a ceiling."

Trunks then raised his eyes upwards, mirroring Yusuke's dramatized examination of the girls' villa. "Yep, it's definitely a ceiling."

Yusuke then twitched his nose as if to be scenting the air. "And what's that? Is it free of the nauseating smell of burnt dry wall and plaster?"

Kuwabara then sniffed the air, causing Keiko to roll her eyes. "Lemon fresh! And is that lavender I'm picking up? _Frebreze_?"

"Okay, too specific, dude." Yusuke gave a disapproving stare, causing Kuwabara to straighten and lower his eyes.

"Sorry." The orange-haired boy backpaddled.

"Will you boys knock it off? I get it. None of you want to room next to Bra. Even though she wouldn't even pay you any attention during your stay here." Keiko griped.

"Yeah, okay, whatever." Trunks half-chuckled.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) I am her brother, and even **_**I**_** didn't want to room next to her. What does that say to you Keiko? Use your BLEEPING brain! My sister is the devil! Blood is thicker than water my ass.**

"Ugh, just...do whatever. I'm getting a headache." Keiko waived as she threw her clipboard down on the nightstand in exhaustion and proceeded upstairs to her and Botan's room.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Think we're being a bunch of vaginas? Well let me show you what you can do. *TURNS HIS REAR TO CAMERA AND PROCEEDS TO MOON AUDIENCE* Pucker up bitches!**

_**Loud and Disruptive Morning in White Shore...**_

Miroku, Inuyasha and Heero sat at the bar counter tepidly resting their heads on their hands as they all tried to find the strength to ingest their breakfast. Miroku lazily poked and toyed with his waffle as the sounds of drilling and hammering continued to mercilessly resonate throughout the villa...for the past three hours.

"Make. It. Stop." Miroku forced out desperately as he ceased the probing of his waffle to bury his face in his hands.

"Puh! You think _you're _suffering? I'm the one with the sensitive ears here!" Inuyasha growled as he tried to shield his ears from the noises that invaded their villa.

"At least they didn't start right over your room." Heero groaned lowly, his tired, restless eyes, boring into his toast that he was too fatigued to attempt consuming. The sound of a buzz saw then layered the drilling and hammering causing Heero to make a gun firing gesture to his mouth.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) The construction crew had gotten what should be an illegal early start on rebuilding our villa. As it stood, I had not slept peacefully since before Bra's party. I am currently dangerously close to shooting someone and blaming sleepless delirium for the rampage.**

Sniffing the air, Heero noticed an intrusive aroma that soon spread throughout their villa. "Do you smell that?"

"Yes," Miroku began as he too scented the air, "it smells like...reptiles and damaged pride." Miroku wiggled his nose into the front door's direction.

Just then, the doorway swung open to reveal the majestic silhouette of a lost member of their team. It took the three individuals a moment for their eyes to adjust before they realized who it was that graced them with their regal presence.

"What the..." Inuyasha trailed. "Sessh...Sesshomaru?" The half-demon narrowed his amber eyes in the direction of the doorway, to try and get a better view of the figure that stood still before them.

The demon lord said nothing, and only proceeded into the villa looking quite vexed, mangled, and smelling of swamp fumes. The three other individuals could only watch him with blank expressions as he stiffly walked past them and over to the bathroom, shutting the door tightly upon entry.

"Hmm," Miroku began as he scratched his chin, "you would think that he would at least demand to know the wherabouts of Bra, being that she is responsible for his predicament." Inuyasha and Heero both nodded their agreement.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) I'm a little worried. Sesshomaru is more cold and aloof than usual. Mostly I'm worried for his game performance. I truly couldn't care less how he chooses to take his highly warranted aggression out on Bra because I can't stand that girl. What the hell is it going to take for the girls to eliminate her from their team as soon as possible? I must say, she has to be the first beautiful girl that I would NOT wish to bear my children.**

Not long after Sesshomaru's rather dramatic entrance did Duo enter into the villa with a Cheshire cat grin, looking quite proud of himself, drawing the attention of the three individuals posted at the bar counter.

"What's with _you_?" Inuyasha queried toward the braided boy.

Duo could only stop, sigh, and turn to face the boys, his expression never faltering. "I was hungry. So I made a sandwich." His grin widened as he spared Miroku a knowing look. Without commenting further, he retreated to he and Heero's room.

Miroku, catching on, then let out an excited gasp that could rival that of a hyper teenage girl. The monk then proceeded to giggle to himself uncontrollably.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I don't get it. o_O**

Spike then entered the living room only to witness Athrun, Kira, Dearka, Yzak, and Ed all sitting down glued to the screens of their cell phones. After hearing a chorus of chirps, he watched as all five boys' faces lit up like giddy schoolboys, chuckling warmly as they read their incoming text messages. He furrowed his eyebrows once they all proceeded to fervently finger their keypads to send, what he assumed, were their replies. "Wow. I wasn't aware there was a morning "sext circle" scheduled." He snidely commented, only to be met with silence. "Geez, are the texts _that_ damn important?" He heaved a sigh.

"Girlfriend" Athrun hastily replied.

"Potential." Ed followed.

"BFF." Came Kira's voice.

"Piss off." Yzak snipped.

"Boobs." Dearka stated flatly, his comment causing all of the guys to snap out of it and give him a strange look. Noticing their eyes on him, he quickly explained himself. "Bra just texted me a picture of a lady with a 38KKK bust size." The blond-haired Coordinator wasn't surprised when they all dropped their phones and hurriedly surrounded him to get a look at his screen.

Spike couldn't believe his eyes. "Those aren't boobs. They're floatation devices."

Athrun swallowed a thick gulp before adding his commentary. "Those babies could do a man serious bodily harm in the bedroom."

"You mean like a head injury?" Kira added.

Swallowing nervously once again, Athrun could only shake his head slowly as he continued to view the photo posted on Dearka's screen. "No." He instinctively brought his arm in front of himself.

There was dead silence as the rest of them realized Athrun's non-verbal implication. They all then instinctively brought their arms around to the front of their bodies as idle thoughts of various bedroom injuries swam through their minds.

The boys that were temporarily confined to the girls' villa then decided to join the rest of their team just as the house's _Nokia_ cell phone rang to alert them of their first challenge. "I got it." Android 17 volunteered as he picked up the cell phone and began to read it off. "Hey guys, listen to this. It says: _Are you a soothing nightengale, or a squawking duck? If you plan on succeeding in today's challenge, you may consider honey and lemons for breakfast. Be ready to leave the villas by 10am sharp._" Android 17 tried his best to yell over the noise of the construction.

"What?" Many of the boys shouted as they couldn't hear certain parts of the text.

"Did you say something about honey?" Duo frowned as he cupped his ear to aid his listening.

"Oh BLEEP this." Android 17 griped as he tried to get the attention of the construction workers. "Hey!" He shouted to no avail as they continued to hammer, drill, and saw. "HEY!" Turning his mouth into a megaphone with his hands he tried once more to get their attention, with no luck. "Damn it." Getting frustrated, he decided to send a low energy finger blast to the bottom of one of the construction workers, giving them a jolt and catching the attention of the other workers.

"What the BLEEP!" The worker yelped, as the villa was once again silent.

"FINALLY!" Android 17 sighed. "Can you guys take five or something while we prepare to leave for our next challenge? Seriously." Android 17 was agitated, but relieved when the workers obliged and decided to take a break. "Okay, for the hearing impaired," Android 17 began as he read off the text message once again, "_Are you a SOOTHING NIGHTENGALE, or a SQUAWKING DUCK? If you plan on SUCCEEDING IN TODAY'S CHALLENGE, you may consider HONEY and LEMONS for BREAKFAST! Be ready to leave the villas at 10AM SHARP!_" Android 17 rolled his eyes as he retreated the cell phone to the bar counter.

"Ookay. Doesn't sound too bad. I guess." Koga shrugged from the balcony.

"I suppose the challenge will have something to do with our voices, judging from the "honey and lemons" line." Kurama deduced causing many of the boys to groan.

"Please tell me we're not singing." Kiba grumbled.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) All I know how to do is howl. I guess you could say it's an acquired sound.**

"Alright guys," Yusuke began as he gathered his team for a pep speech, "don't BLEEP this up."

_**12th Challenge: Anime Idol**_

The challengers arrived to a large set of buildings which turned out to be a community college. One of the buildings was an auditorium, in front of which stood Jonny and Sachiya, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

"Morning all!" Jonny began, the rest of the challengers greeting him in return. "I heard you guys had quite a time at Bra's birthday party. Sorry I couldn't make it, Bra, but happy belated!" Jonny smiled.

"Dude, consider yourself spared." Trunks replied flatly.

"Oh shut-up, Trunks." Bra snapped. "Thank you, Jonny. You still owe me a present." She beamed.

"Okay." Jonny chuckled amicably.

"I'm serious." Bra spared him a dangerous look, causing the host to become quite uncomfortable.

"Y-yeah. I'll file that away." Jonny gulped.

"Good." Bra flashed him her pearly whites.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) What? Like he's special? And speaking of presents, if those morons think I didn't notice that they failed to get me a gift, then their idiocy deserves a BLEEPING medal.**

"Alright, guys, about today's challenge." Jonny started. "Today's challenge will be a bit different being that neither myself, Sachiya, or any of MTV's crew will be making any judgment calls on your performance." Jonny paused to allow for the confusion to settle.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) Is it weird that that actually makes me feel relieved? MTV has been pissing on us since this contest started. -_-**

As Jonny continued to explain the challenge, Aeka noticed Ryoko acting rather strange as she nervously kept staring at Faye and Julia. She observed as the space pirate began to anxiously nibble on her nails as her eyes would alternate between the two women. The purple-haired princess couldn't help but question her friend on her behavior. "Ryoko?"

"Huh?" Ryoko raised her eyebrows feverishly, failing to take her eyes off of Faye and Julia.

"Is everything alright?" Aeka questioned sincerely.

"Hmm?" Ryoko finally decided to spare Aeka a quick glance.

"You seem...troubled." Aeka furrowed a brow.

"What? It's nothing. I just...didn't get much sleep. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, princess." Ryoko let out a nervous laugh.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) I'm actually REALLY bad at keeping secrets. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep what I know from Julia for long. I wish there was a way to erase my memory of seeing what I saw after Bra's party. Oh wait! Hiei is capable of erasing memory. But I'll probably have to give him something in return for a favor like that. Damn him!**

"Alright challengers, if you'll just follow me inside." Jonny instructed as he and the challengers entered the auditorium. Once inside, they noticed a stage and in front of it sat a table behind which sat three familiar faces.

"Ohmygod!" Flay spat out excitedly. "Is that who I think it is?"

"That depends." Jonny smiled. "If you think it's Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson, then you are correct."

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!I think I know what we're doing!" Flay was freaking out.

"Yep! Challengers, today, you will be singing a random selection of pieces and will be judged just like a contestant on the infamous reality show _American Idol_! Welcome to _Anime Idol_!"

"Oooooh, BLEEEEEP." Yusuke covered his face in his hands.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I. Can NOT. Sing. Just puttin' that out there.**

"Oh, how exciting!" Lacus gleamed brightly.

"Well of course, _you_ would think that!" Cagalli groaned.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) She's a freaking pop singer for sobbing outloud! *REALIZING* Oh wait, she's on our team. Sweeeeet! ^_^**

"Sachiya, read off the prizes for this round if you would." Jonny ordered to his co-host.

"The challenge winner will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero and this challenge prize: An _XBOX360 Kinect _along with the game _Dance Central_." Sachiya announced.

"I like!" Kagome approved.

"Starting scores are: Boys 69,900 and Girls 62,390. Take it away _American Idol_ panel!" Sachiya handed the reigns over to the infamous judging panel.

"Okay, well if any of you are familiar with the show, you know that you will be judged on stage presence, performance quality, as well as enthusiasm. So try to just enjoy yourselves up there." Randy Jackson began.

"Ohmygod, he's talking to us." Flay frantically whispered to Miriallia, who could only pat the raspberry-haired girl on the back to help calm her down.

"The scoring for each round is going to be a little different, though. For obvious reasons." Jennifer Lopez added.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) J-Lo, was going to be watching me. As I sang. J-Lo! BLEEPING J-Lo! It's too much. I can't...Jennifer, prepare to be serenaded like the beautiful Latin rose that you are. When I'm done with you, you'll be saying Marc who. *BITES LIP SENSUOUSLY* Sorry Marc.**

"A perfect score for each individual performer will equal 30 points." Steven Tyler explained. "Double the personal score plus one hundred points will be added to the scores for each team. That's 160 possible points for each team, each round."

"Songs will be selected by pulling a genre out of a hat." Randy continued. "Genres include Classic Rock, Pop, R&B, Country, 80s, 90s, Blues, Disco, and Oldies."

"You will compete by switching teams after each individual performance." Jennifer finished with the explanation. "The first team to perform will be selected by coin toss. Good luck everybody!"

Jonny then gathered the members with the highest scores from both teams. "Yusuke, Faye, come on up for the coin toss." Both Faye and Yusuke then stood to either side of Jonny. "The team with the lowest score gets to call it, so Faye."

"Heads." Faye called, watching as Jonny flipped the coin, and clasping her hands together in victory once she noticed the coin land on heads. "Yes!"

"Okay ladies, you're up first! Member with the lowest score starts it off." Jonny announced.

"Well, Julia, that means you." Faye called to Julia who could only nod as she approached the hat that sat upon the judges table.

Placing her hand inside, she raised an eyebrow at her selected genre. "90s?"

"Alright!" Jennifer regarded Jonny, who then pulled a random song out of a bin labeled 90s. "What do we got, Jonny?"

"We have..." Jonny trailed as he gathered the thin slip of paper. "_I'm the Only One _by Melissa Ethridge."

"Nice! Okay Julia, do you know the song?" Jennifer questioned earning an affirming nod from Julia. "Great, then we'll give you a few minutes to get prepared and see you on stage in five."

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Now, I'm no Whitney Houston, but if Julia was hoping that her performance was going to knock her up a few slots on the scoreboard, I'm afraid her hopes weren't fulfilled. Oh and P.S., I never want to hear that song again. Thanks a lot Julia. -_-**

"Judges, your scores." Jonny regarded the judges who raised their score cards. Jennifer and Steven giving a score of 5, while Randy gave an abyssmally low score of 3.

"Wow." Heero tried to stifle laughter.

"Oh, like you could do any better!" Julia shot back.

"I think that I could manage." Heero stated simply.

"Well then, Heero," Jennifer began, "let's see what you got." She gestured toward the genre hat.

"Fine." Heero responded dryly. Pulling out his genre slip, he frowned slightly at his selection. "Pop."

"Okay, Jonny?" Jennifer nodded to the host who reached into the bin labeled Pop only to pull out...

"_Maybe_ by Sick Puppies. Good luck, man!" Jonny encouraged the ex-Gundam pilot.

"Yeah." Heero sighed.

"Heero, are you familiar with the song?" Jennifer asked.

"Let's just get this over with, please." Heero answered blandly.

"Alright then, take the stage."

Heero approached the stage, standing stiffly in front of the mic that was centered upon its cool, hard surface. He looked out into the bare auditorium, focusing his vision on the spotlight that hugged his form in its warm light, narrowing his eyes slightly from its bright presence. He listened as his music began, and he waited for the right moment to begin with the first verse. "_Maybe I'm a dreeeamer. Maybe I'm misunderstooood. Maybe you're not seein,' the side of me you shooould. Maybe I'm craaazy. Maybe I'm the only one. Maybe I'm just outta tooouch! Maybe I've just had enooooough! And maybe it's tiime to change! And leeave it aaaall behiiind! I've never been oone to walk alooone! I've always been scared to tryyy! So why does it feeel so wrooong, to reach for soomething moooore? Don't waanna live a beetter liiife! What am I waiting fooor? 'Cause nothin' staays the same! Maybe it's time to chaaange..._"

"Oh my god! He's _really_ good!" Hilde gasped in shock.

"I KNOW!" Botan agreed.

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Oh COME ON! **

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Where? The **_**hell**_**...did that voice come from? O_O (A/N: Mark Hildreth ladies and gentlemen, lol)**

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) I was really impressed. Heero was really good. **_**Too**_** good.**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) He wasn't **_**that**_** great. He went flat a couple of times. *IN DENIAL***

"Yeah Heero!" Duo cheered on his teammate and friend.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I always knew the guy had a voice. He just threatened to kill me if I told anyone. Then again, he threatens to kill **_**everyone**_**, so I never took him seriously. **

As the music died out, and Heero finished with his performance, claps and cheers echoed throughout the acoustic space of the auditorium. Both teams decided to give Heero proper recognition and praise for his outstanding performance.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Dearka praised his teammate.

"Let's hear it for the perfect solidier, yeah?" Athrun clapped generating more cheers from both sides.

"Alright, Heero. Nice job, man." Jonny began. "Judges, your scores?"

"First of all, Heero, you have a beautiful voice. Don't hide it." Steven began. "I feel you could have engaged your audience more instead of giving off the glacial, cardboard vibes the whole time, but your voice made up for the fact that you weren't active with your audience. So, I give you an 8." Steven revealed his score, causing the boys team to clap in approval.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) What audience? Surely he wasn't referring to our team, I don't consider them relevant. **

"Jennifer?" Jonny regarded the other judge.

"Well, Heero, like Steven said, I feel you could've been much more in tune with your audience, but other than that, great performance, good display of range, you hit every note, and showed lots of emotion. I give you a 9."

"EMOTION?" Faye griped. "You've gotta be kidding me! The guy was a cold, dead, fish!"

"Well, he did show emotion in his singing, despite what we really know about him." Keiko sighed. "I felt that he really sang with his heart. No matter how much that freaks me out."

"Un...freaking...believable!" Faye raised her hands above her head in frustration.

"Okay, Randy? Your score."

"I gotta agree with Jen and Steve. You've got a great voice. Just try not to be so stiff with it. 9."

"That's 26 points for Heero. And 152 for the boys!" Jonny raised, generating more cheers from the boys' team. "Up next for the girls...Pan!"

"I thought we were going by lowest score!" Pan shouted nervously.

"Uh, the person with the lowest score got to go first, that's not how the whole game was going, though." Jonny explained.

"Oh, damn it." Pan sighed lowly. She spared Hiei a quick glance, and couldn't help the slight rose tint that painted her cheeks. "Oh." Her little display unknowingly caught the eye of Bra.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Awww, poor Panny had to humiliate herself in front of the object of her dirty desires...again! *MANICAL LAUGHTER***

"Pop." Pan glanced at her genre card with anguish.

"And you'll be singing..." Jonny started as he reached for the song card. "_Only Girl In The World_ by Rihanna."

"NO!" Pan growled.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) I HATE that song! I also HATE the fact that I know all of the words. Why do I know all of the words to the song that I HATE?**

Pan had to close her eyes so as not to be faced with the critiquing stares of her judges. She heard her music filter throughout the auditorium, and absently began to bob her head with the beat as she sang out the first few lines. "_La la la laaa. La la la laaa. La la la laaa. La la la laaa. I want you to love me. Like I'm a hot riiide._" Pan then decided to grab hold of her mic as she continued with her first verse, opening her eyes slowly as she gazed out into the audience. Her eyes then locked onto Hiei's and she closed them back quickly as a reflex. "_Be thinkin' of me. Doin' what you liiike. So boy forget about the world, 'cause it's gon' be me and you toniiiight. I wanna make you beeg for it, and Imma make you swallow your priiiide. Ooh._" Reopening her eyes slightly, she noticed that Hiei's crimson orbs were fixated upon her form, intensely. She tried to tear her eyes away from his, but found that she was unable to do so, as she bellowed out the chorus."_Want you to make me feeel, like I'm the only girl in the wooorld! Like I'm the only one that you'll ever looove. Like I'm the only one who knoows your heaaaaart! Ooonly girl in the wooorld! Like I'm the only one that's in commaaaand! 'Cause I'm the only one who understaaaands how to make you feel like a maaaan! Yeaaaah..._"

Pan's eye contact with Hiei caught the attention of a few of the girls in the audience, confusing them significantly. "What the...hell?" Android 18 arched an eyebrow. "Blue is it me or is she..."

"...Looking at Hiei? No it's _definitely_ not just you." Blue whispered.

"Okay good. I thought I was going crazy." Android 18 sighed until realization hit her. "Wait a minute!"

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) Why the hell was she looking at **_**Hiei**_**? O_O**

Miriallia leaned up in her seat to tap Bra on the shoulder causing the blue-haired girl to turn and face her slightly. She spared the half-saiyan girl a knowing look, earning an affirming nod from the other.

"Yep." Bra nodded.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Oooh, I'm gonna get her for this one! Gonna get her, gonna get her! Newsflash Pan, if you want me to stop teasing you about this, then stop refilling my arsenal with good ammo like this! There's nothing more satisfying than teasing your best girlfriend about her secret crush. It's one of those perks that follows women into adulthood like chocolate cravings and unicorns. *AWKWARD PAUSE* Okay, maybe just me on the unicorns.**

After her performance, Pan anxiously awaited her scores from the judges. She idly began twiddling with the hem of her tank, trying her best to look anywhere but at their panel.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) The whole time I couldn't stop thinking how funny it would be if I got a really bad score in front of a certain...someone. It would be just effing hilarious. -_-**

"Judges, your scores?" Jonny opened the floor up to the judges.

"I don't really have a comment," Steven began, "so I'll just do this." And with that he raised a score card that read the number 6.

"Wow! Really?" Pan was shocked. She was certain that she bombed her performance and would've been lucky to get at least a 2.

"Well, I _do_ have a comment." Jennifer started. "I think you did a fairly good job. You just gotta make sure that when you make eye contact with your audience to not focus on just one person, k?" Jennifer was unaware of how effective her words were as Pan turned several different shades of red. Raising her score card, Jennifer smiled as she gave Pan a 7.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) Even J-Lo noticed Pan's little eye tango with Hiei. That is beyond rich!**

"I agree. I know it's easier to focus on one thing, but try to let your entire audience know that you're there for them." Randy added.

"Oh please stop rubbing it in." Pan sighed under her breath. She could feel her skin becoming even more hot and flushed with embarrassment.

"You get a 7 from me!"

"Alright, twenty points for Pan, and 140 for the girl's team. Good job, Pan!" Jonny cheered along with the rest of the competitors. He watched as Pan quickly removed herself from the stage and returned to the audience to sit next to Bra.

"I swear. I couldn't get off that stage fast enough." Pan huffed.

"Oh Panny." Bra sighed playfully. "We're gonna have _so_ much fun together when we get back to the villas." She cast the raven-haired girl a wicked smile, making the other girl shift uncomfortably in her seat.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) **_**Now**_** what'd I do? o_O**

"Up next we have, Yzak! Yzak, please approach the genre hat." Jonny instructed the silver-haired Coordinator.

Doing as he was told, Yzak pulled his genre from the hat, scoffing immediately at his selection. "Disco?"

Upon hearing Yzak's genre selection, Jonny immediately reached into the bin labeled Disco, pulling a small slip of paper from its confines. He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips as he read the song title to himself before saying it out loud for all to hear. "Yzak, your song is..._Lady Marmalade _by LaBelle." Jonny chewed on his inner jaw to keep from laughing along with the rest of the competitors.

"That's not funny." Yzak narrowed his eyes towards Jonny. "No really. What's my song?"

"That's it dude. I'm serious." Jonny shrugged innocently, a little startled when Yzak stormed over to his location, sourly snatching the slip of paper from his fingers to personally confirm this information. The pale-skinned boy's face was priceless.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

Jennifer tried to hold in her laughter as she cleared her throat weakly. "Soo, uhh...Yzak. Are you familiar with the song?"

"What do you mean, am I familiar with the song?" Yzak questioned bitterly.

"I mean, do you know the words?"

"Yes he does!" Dearka blurted, having given up on trying to contain his laughter along with Athrun, Kira, and Ed.

"Shut-up, Dearka!"

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) It was a gag talent show during our time in the academy. Athrun, Yzak, and I did a comedy sketch where we did a lip sync routine off of the song in question. Yzak was...Pattie. *LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY***

"So, that's a yes?" Jennifer prodded.

"Just play the damn song." Yzak growled.

"Well. Ain't you just a ball of sunshine?" Randy quipped.

"Play. The song." Yzak demanded lowly. He was eager to get the ordeal over with.

The background music was cued up as Yzak took center stage, standing caustically before the mic stand that he had to adjust to his height from Pan's previous performance. He tried to focus on anything but the fact that he would have to lower himself to such standards by singing the infamous tune.

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) What I've allowed this competition to reduce me to I wouldn't dare speak of in reputable company. I feel like I'm going to need to take several rape showers after all of this BLEEP is over.**

"_...Gitchie-gitchie yah yah, dah dah. Gitchie-gitchie yah yah, here. Mocha chocha latta yah yah. Creole lady marmalaaaade. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, c'est soi? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?_" Yzak kept his eyes closed during his entire performance, not even bothering to tap so much as a foot in time with the music. He rushed through the lyrics, and showed absolutely no enthusiasm. It was clear that he just wanted to get the song done as quickly as possible.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Ok, I know the song was embarrassing or whatever. But would it've killed him to make a little effort? Our team's victory was at stake here. I mean, BLEEP Yzak, it's just a BLEEPING song! Get over it, man!**

"He is thoroughly BLEEPING this up." Yusuke whispered to Kuwabara as he narrowed his eyes into Yzak's direction. He was becoming progressively irritated with the other boy at the moment.

"I know. He's gonna get a really low score if he doesn't pep it up." Kuwabara gulped.

"Exactly what part of 'the girls are on our asses now' did he _not_ understand?" Yusuke snipped shaking his head acrimoniously at Yzak as the other wrapped up his performance.

"I don't know, but if he gets lower than a 5 I'm kicking his ass." Inuyasha interjected. "He could've at least tried, the cry baby!"

"Judges your scores." Jonny was slightly taken aback when none of them offered comments and only held up their score cards: 2, 2, 1. "Alright, that's 5 points for you Yzak, and 110 for the team."

"That's it. I'm kicking his ass when we get back to the villas." Inuyasha vowed.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) There's no excuse for that. Even **_**I'm**_** not that prideful.**

Yzak sauntered his way nonchalantly back over to his team as he took a seat next to Dearka. He noticed that none of them bothered to even look at him, and he knew exactly why. Moreover, he couldn't have possibly cared less.

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) I think I've stretched my dignity enough for this damn competition. They better not say a word to me. I'm serious. Either way, it's not like the girls were going to get ahead of us even if they won. I had already done the calculations.**

"Ladies, your next competitor is...Lacus! Come on up Lacus!" Jonny guided the pink-haired pop diva towards the genre hat with his hand.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Considering that Lacus was a pop singer anyway -and a famous one to boot- we really weren't worried with her performance abilities. Plus after Yzak's piss, poor, performance, she was guaranteed to look twice as good in the eyes of the judges by comparison! ^_^**

"Pop!" Lacus announced her genre with a gentle smile toward Jonny.

"And your song Miss Clyne is...wow, who'd a thunk it?" Jonny exclaimed after reading the song title.

"I don't think I've heard of that song before. Who is it by?" Lacus tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"Oh, no, no, no. That's not the name of the song. I was just surprised to see this in here considering...oh well, nevermind. Lacus, your song is..._On the Floor_ by Jennifer Lopez." Jonny informed, wincing at the sounds of the heavy sighs from the boys' team.

"Ok, THAT is bullBLEEP." Duo complained quietly to Heero.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Really MTV? You're just gonna put one of the judges' songs in there and have it sung by a pop princess on the opposing team? Really? -_-**

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) I wonder how long MTV is expecting us to continue bending over and taking it like this.**

"Alright Lacus, show me what ya got, girl!" Jennifer encouraged.

The pink-haired pop diva wasted no time once her music started to remove her mic from its hold and move about the stage. She truly felt in her element as she let the music wash over her like misty rain, enveloping her in its upbeat dance rhythm. The stage lights changed to that of pink and purple with red strobe lights and smoke that blanketed the stage's surface, amplifying her performance.

**Hige: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Hey! How come she got the sweet lights and smoke machine? How is this fair?**

"_...Daaaance the night awaaay live your life and stay young on the floooor. Daaaance the night awaaay grab somebody drink a little moooore._" With the anticipation of the chorus, Lacus used one hand to hold her ankle length, white, sundress in place as she twirled and danced in time with the music, undoubtedly enjoying every minute of her performance."_Oh laaaa la la la laaa, la la la la la la la la laaaaa. Tonight we gon' be it on the floor. Oh laaaa la la la laaa, la la la la la la la la laaaaa. Tonight we gon' be it on the floor! I know you got it, clap your hands on the floor..._" Lacus pointed to the audience that was her teammates urging them to clap at the right moment and she was pleased and even more energized once they obliged.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) It was like some sort of concert! Lacus rocked the house and I swear it was easy breezy from there for our team.**

The judges ended up giving Lacus a perfect score, earning the pink-haired Coordinator 30 points for herself, and 160 for her team. Jennifer Lopez was especially impressed with Lacus' performance. So much so that she even invited the pop princess to tour with her once the competition was done to which she graciously accepted.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) I'm so flattered and excited that I'll be touring with J-Lo once I'm done with this competition! After my performance, everything seemed to elevate for our team. I was so proud of my girls! ^_^**

And indeed, the competition did elevate. While there were a few squawking ducks on the girls' team such as Cagalli, Hilde, Ryoko and Blue. There were also plenty of nightingales such as Keiko, Miriallia, Cheza, Aeka, and Android 18. Hilde had completely blown her performance of "Feeling Love" by Paula Cole and only managed 16 points. She claimed that Duo was making her uncomfortable the entire time with his lewd stares, but no one actually believed her.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Guys) Duo's been acting...well...I don't want to get into it. But I've got no reason to lie, he was making me mess up. **_**YOU**_** try singing that song while some pervy guy keeps suggestively sticking his tongue out at you. G'head! Humor me! _**

Bra's performance of "What the Hell" by Avril Lavigne, was mostly dressed up with her amazing stage presence and audience interaction, earning her 25 points and 150 for their team. And though Dearka managed nearly a perfect score with 29 points for his performance of "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream, along with Kurama's perfect score with "Father Figure" by George Michael. It was no match for Keiko's performance that truly ended up being the decider of the challenge outcome. The brown-haired schoolgirl had the voice of an angel with her rendition of "Sugar Town" by Nancy Sinatra.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) We OWNED this challenge! I mean, I only got a 20 when I sang "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele, but hey it evened out with the divas on our team. I had no idea we had so many beautiful voices in our ranks!**

"Well, that was better than I thought it was gonna be. I had my earplugs prepared and everything." Jonny teased. "You all...well _most _of you, did a great job, but the final victor for _Anime Idol_ is ultimately...the ladies." Jonny announced, employing his aforementioned earplugs once the girls began screaming their celebratory cheers.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Geez. Why do girls have to be so loud and annoying when they're excited?**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) That's three in a row baby! Count 'em! WOOOOOOO!**

"Final scores are: 72,389 for the boys, and 65,658 for the girls. Winner of today's challenge, and Chibi Wolf Hero recipient along with an _XBOX360 Kinect _with the game _Dance Central_...Lacus." Jonny continued as Sachiya surrendered the Chibi Wolf Hero over to Lacus.

"Thank you." Lacus thanked Sachiya for the award.

"Alright, inner circles, make your decisions and we'll see you back in time for eliminations." Jonny ordered.

_**Girls' Inner Circle Meeting...**_

Faye, Pan, and Keiko all sat outside the rear of the auditorium, deciding on who would get sent home. It would have been easy enough had it not been for the fact that two of their teammates were tied with the same lowest scores.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Seriously? What are the odds of that happening? Gotta have the drama. Otherwise, it's not Anime. -_-**

"Julia, and Flay," Keiko began to recite their names idly, "Flay and Julia. Wow this is a tough one."

"Oh come on, Keiko, the answer is obvious." Faye rolled her eyes.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Wow. And here I thought she was supposed to be the smart one.**

_**Eliminations...**_

"Okay. Inner circles. Have you decided who you will be sending home tonight?" Jonny questioned, gesturing toward the boys' team first.

"Yes." Yusuke started. "We're gonna miss his appetite and humor, but we're not gonna miss having to sticky roll our clothes every five minutes because of him so...Hige..." Yusuke regarded the chubby, fluffy wolf.

"Yeeeep, I saw that coming. It's cool guys. We're still kicking ass." Hige winked.

"It's all we know how to do, man." Trunks smiled as he and the rest of his team sent off their canine friend and teammate.

"Ladies. Your decision?" Jonny then turned his attention to the girls' inner circle. He noticed how Pan and Keiko seemed a bit agitated, but only brushed it off as being upset with having to part ways with a friend and comrade.

"Yes, Jonny." Faye began confidently. "It was our decision-"

"_Your_ decision." Keiko cut off the other woman under her breath loud enough for only Faye to hear.

"Ahem...OUR decision...that it'd be best for the team and our teammates if we were to let her go. She's been a valuable asset to this game and we really hate to see her leave. So Julia, you will be dearly missed." Faye finished, earning noticeable gasps to reverberate throughout the auditorium.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) Were they SERIOUS? O_o**

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I swear. The crack these girls smoke...*MUSING PAUSE* Yeah, I'm just gonna put it out there. I think they smoke crack.**

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) They had a legitimate reason and chance to get rid of Flay and they passed it up and sent Julia home instead? The California Supreme Court makes better decisions than that! _**

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...your dauntless champions of the day. -_-**

"Ookay. I guess, you had to make a choice." Julia sighed, though she was confused as to how a choice even needed to be made between her and Flay. Perhaps she misunderstood her value as a teammate and friend the entire time.

**Julia: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I guess it's common to misread people's opinions about you. Just because someone's nice to you, doesn't mean they like you. Oh well. It happens. *ANNOYED PAUSE* Okay, enough with the bullBLEEP! I know I'm not the most likable person in the world, but I for damn sure am more likable than BLEEPING Flay! So something else was DEFINITELY going on!**

Outside the auditorium, the challengers watched as their teammates said their goodbyes. "Oh no it's happening." Ryoko breathed nervously as she watched Julia head for the transportation van in preparation to be taken back to the villa to gather her belongings and finally the airport. "I can't believe this."

"What is it, Ryoko?" Miriallia questioned the space pirate.

"Hold on a sec! Yo Jules!" Ryoko flew over to the departing blond catching her right before she was about to shut the door to the van. From the distance, Miriallia and Aeka could see Ryoko talking to the woman, but couldn't make out what was being said.

"_Now_ what is she up to?" Aeka sighed.

"I don't know, but she looks worried." Miriallia bit her lip absently.

"WHAT?" Julia suddenly screamed, causing everyone to turn their attention to her direction. Ryoko, being startled beyond words could only slam the van door shut and order for the driver to step on it directly for the airport.

"Don't worry Julia!" Ryoko called. "We'll have your stuff shipped to ya! First class! Next day!" She waved toward the retreating van trying her best to look natural with a forced smile plastered to her face. "Ohhh BLEEP." She mumbled through gritted teeth that still held a bright and highly forced smile.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) I think I just made a boo boo. O.O**

_**Evening in White Shore...**_

"...Yusuke, if you don't shut the hell up and leave me alone, I swear to god!" Yzak had been getting badgered endlessly by Yusuke who at the moment needed someone to blame for their team's loss earlier that day.

"Why can't you just own up to the fact that you blew it, man?" Yusuke yelled.

"Yusuke! I am ONE! BLEEPING! PERSON! On this stupid, god forsaken team! You would have to be the biggest imbecile in the world to believe that I single-handedly am responsible for today's failure! Did it ever occur to you that maybe the REAL reason we lost today is because over fifty percent of our team is BLEEPING tone def?" Yzak blustered, gesturing his fury with his arms on every other syllable.

"I didn't BLEEPING say you were single-handedly responsible you dumbass! I said that your failure to put forth an effort didn't HELP! You know that word? HELP! I know it's a foreign concept to people like you but it's what NORMAL people do on a TEAM!" Yusuke shot back with heavy sarcasm.

"I don't even give a damn about this team or this game. I never did." Yzak spat.

"Then DUDE! Why the BLEEP are you even HERE? Go the BLEEP home!" Yusuke was getting severely pissed.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) He just outright said that he didn't give a damn about this team! So maybe he did that BLEEP on purpose! I wouldn't put it past him!**

Dearka and Kuwabara could tell that the argument was starting to heat up, and knowing both individuals involved quite well, they knew that it could only get worse. "Okay come on guys, knock it off. This is getting out of hand." Dearka came up behind Yzak, who appeared to be seconds away from getting hit by a fuming Yusuke.

"Yeah, dude, it's not worth it." Kuwabara pulled Yusuke back. "We're still winning, anyway."

"That's not the point, Kuwabara! We've got a few thousand points on the girls now. We can't afford any weak links."

"Well then perhaps you should consider going home yourself. Take care of that drunken skank you like to call 'Mom.'" Yzak jabbed.

"Mother BLEEPER!" Yusuke lunged at Yzak, only to be held back by Kuwabara.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, chill out man!" Kuwabara strained to hold Yusuke back, pushing the black-haired Spirit Detective all the way back towards the game room. The confusion gained the attention of most of the other boys in the villa. Kurama, Ed, Inuyasha, Koga, and Heero all holding back Yusuke, while Wufei, Android 17, Athrun, and Kira all guided Yzak further into the common area.

"Yzak!" Wufei spared the Coordinator a dangerous glare.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) He insulted the boy's mother. Hardly an honorable technique to adopt in confrontation, and extremely bad form.**

"Dude," Dearka began as he pushed Yzak down into the recliner chair, "NOT cool."

"What?" Yzak folded his arms stubbornly.

"What do you mean 'what?' You're being a total dick right now!" Dearka scolded.

"Hmph," Athrun huffed, "what _else_ is new?"

"Piss off, Athrun."

"What the hell is up with you, today?" Dearka demanded an explanation. Yzak had been acting extra irritable since he woke up.

"Nothing! Just..." Standing to his feet, he made a beeline for the stairs, "...just leave me alone!" The rest of the team heard his room door slam shut as he made entry.

"Damn." Dearka sighed. "Eleven challenges in this competition and he's still being a neurotic assBLEEP."

"Twelve." Heero corrected.

"Twelve what?" Dearka regarded the perfect soldier.

"Twelve challenges. We've had twelve." Heero reiterated.

"Nooo. I'm pretty sure it's only been eleven." Dearka disagreed.

"If you were listening today, you would have heard Jonny say that today was our twelfth challenge." Heero replied sternly.

"That's impossible." Android 17 frowned. "I only remember having eleven."

"Yeah, me too." Kira mused. "You know what's weird. I keep getting this strange feeling that the girls cheated at some point in the competition."

"Oh my god, me too." Dearka's eyes widened. "Anyone else been thinking that?" Dearka wasn't surprised when he saw many of his teammates nod in agreement. "You know what else is weird though? I can't remember which challenge."

"Me neither." Kira sighed.

Just then, the rest of the guys, sans Yusuke and Kuwabara, entered into the common area. "Whatcha guys talkin' about?" Inuyasha queried.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Athrun began, "have you been having strange feelings that the girls cheated at some point in this competition?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it, I have been feeling that way. Almost like...a memory that I...can't remember. Wait that makes no sense." Inuyasha scratched his head.

The raising of this subject caused Kurama to swallow nervously. He knew precisely what was happening. And he knew that it would spread like wildfire if it progressed.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I believe that my team may be starting to remember the events that ensued during the "Frozen Solid" challenge. Perhaps the girls' memory erasing potion that they used is wearing off. *MUSING PAUSE* Hmm, I suppose that I would be considered a traitor and accomplice being that I'm informed of everything that the girls did to my teammates during that time. But I don't want to jeopardize Lacus or our relationship. Let me see: Lacus, or my teammates. Lacus, teammates. Soft, silky, pure, supple, and beautiful. Or...hairy, rude, loud, sloppy, slovenly, drunken, lascivious, at times smelly, scratching inappropriately...**

_**Evening in Starfish...**_

The girls had been celebrating their third win in a row with chips, salsa, and margaritas as Faye had promised them earlier were they to arise victorious in the day's challenge. Their celebrations had irritated their new male roommates who had decided to hang out at their own team's villa until they became tired.

Hilde and Kagome sat at the bar counter, bobbing their heads to the sizzling, samba beats of "Mais Que Nada" by Sergio Mendes that filled their villa's four walls. Occasionally, Hilde's cell phone would go off, urging the short-haired girl to pick it up to view the caller ID, only to place the phone back upon the countertop.

Kagome watched this pattern progress for several minutes before she finally decided to interject. She had noticed that each time the other girl's caller ID would read either "Duo" or "Cenia." She also noticed that those were the only calls that the other girl ignored. The phone rang once more, this time Duo's name popped up on the screen. The call was once more ignored, much to Kagome's confusion. "Umm, Hilde. Not to pry but uhh...why do you keep ignoring Duo and Cenia's calls?"

"Ugh! Will you mind your own business and lay off my caller ID?" Hilde snipped as she quickly snatched her phone up and headed upstairs for her room.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) She didn't need to be rude. I mean what does she expect when she leaves her cell phone sitting right freaking in front of me so that I can clearly see the names popping up on the screen? It's not MY fault that I can't resist the urge to look at it when it vibrates as if it's my own phone.**

Suddenly, a loud screeching noise sounded from upstairs startling most of the girls in the villa. "What the hell?" Faye shrieked with her mouth half-full of chips and salsa.

Not soon after did Bra come racing down the steps excitedly, with Pan rushing quickly behind her, grabbing for the other girl's arms but missing as she would snatch and twist from her grasp. "Stop it, Bra!"

"Ohmygod, this is awesome!" Bra exclaimed.

"Shut-UP!" Pan growled.

"Bra, what's that in your hand?" Serena pointed to the small, black device that the half-saiyan girl held taut between her hands. She appeared to be reading something off of it.

"What's this Pan? A text from Hiei?" Bra gathered everyone's attention as she continued to dodge Pan's tackles and lunges. "Oh and what does _he_ have to say? _So how does having a girlfriend work? I don't understand. Explain._ Now, THAT'S sexy!" Bra teased laughing harshly as all of the girls gasped in shock at the text message. This of course caused Pan to scream in anguish as she jumped on the other girl's back, fighting over her shoulders in a rather sloppy format and attempt to retrieve her cell phone.

"Give it BACK you spoiled little BRAT!"

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Hiei knows how to text? *REMEMBERING THE TEXT MESSAGE ITSELF* Wait. Say WHAAAAAT? O_O **

**Next Chapter: **

_**Gladiator- **Now what could this chapter be about?_

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this one! Sit tight because the next chapter will be here before you know it. Also, don't forget to check in on my Twitter page for update info along with a bunch of other BLEEP that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. -_- See ya next week! _  
_


	19. Gladiator, Part 1

A/N: Hello. And welcome to Chapter 19 of Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style! An interesting thing happened with this chapter. One, I looked it over and was not satisfied with the fact that I didn't include all of the fights. I felt that I was cheating you as the readers to not get to see each one not to mention what happens in the following chapter between the characters relies heavily on what happens during these match fights. So it really wouldn't have made sense to leave it out. So I read it over and decided to add in every match and in doing so this chapter was close to being as long as Bra's Super Sweet 16, and I wouldn't DARE put you through that BLEEP again, lol! Other than that, I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I tried to enjoy the festivities with family, myself. I hope you stayed sober friends. Seriously. I'll probably be Twittering about that lovely ordeal when the bits and pieces start coming back to memory. Enough ranting! Relax and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own none of these characters. Except for the characters that I own. -_-

**Song Disclaimer: **"What's My Name?" by Rihanna

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 19: Gladiator, Part 1**

_**Early Morning in White Shore...**_

Yusuke sat in the kitchen along with Kuwabara, Heero, Duo, Athrun, Kira, Dearka and Yzak. Having stayed up all night, they appeared to be worn and troubled as the eight of them had been plagued with the paralyzing thought that the girls had cheated. What was more disturbing, however, was the fact that none of them could remember when and how said cheating occurred.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) We had gone through all of the challenges that the girls had won with a fine toothed comb. We drew out a diagram and everything. We tried to pinpoint the exact moment in which they seriously cheated and we couldn't come up with anything. Aaand it is REALLY starting to piss me off. **

"Crap," Duo started lethargically, "the sun is up, which means we've officially been up all night." He groaned quietly as he tried to stifle a yawn. "I'm gonna start up some java."

"Oh come on." Kuwabara grumbled as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. "I'm not gonna be able to make it through today's challenge without sleep. This really blows." His complaints caused the others to stare at him blandly, specifically the ex-soldiers.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) How the hell is that guy still here? **

"So, Kuwabara," Duo started dryly, "what's the weather like down south?" Duo jabbed at the other's low score status.

"Huh?" Kuwabara furrowed his eyebrows bemusedly.

"Dude. Nevermind." Duo sighed.

"Well Kuwabara, since we're stuck at the girls' pool house until our rooms are repaired, we probably wouldn't have gotten any sleep anyway." Yusuke noted. "Unless, of course, you're actually comfortable sleeping with both eyes closed within promixity of the enemy."

"True." Kuwabara nodded in agreement. "Why do they have a pool house and we dont?" Kuwabara questioned musedly.

"Because," Dearka chimed, "we have a game room, and a fitness room."

"Oh well, that's cool I guess." Kuwabara shrugged.

"Back to the girls cheating," Athrun interjected, "I know they did something. I can feel it. And what's worse is, I think it was done recently." Athrun rubbed his chin absently.

"I'm with Blue on that one." Duo agreed.

"How many challenges have we had so far?" Heero questioned lowly.

"Eleven. We've been through this, Heero." Kira responded with an exasperated sigh.

"Are you sure?" Heero kept getting the nagging feeling that they had had twelve challenges.

"Yeah, man!" Dearka huffed. "Why do you keep going back to this?"

"Right!" Yzak snipped. "We've already established that we've had eleven challenges!"

"I keep going back to this, Tall Dark and Irritating, because I'm positive Jonny said that yesterday's challenge was our twelfth." Heero replied with bland sarcasm.

"No, no, no," Yusuke shook his head in protest, "Heero. Yesterday was our eleventh. Jonny said, 'welcome to your _eleventh_ challenge Anime Idol.'"

"Yusuke," Heero was becoming frustrated, "just yesterday you were all questioning the _exact_ same thing as I am, and now all of a sudden you're all positive that we've had only eleven challenges?"

"Yeah." Yusuke stated with confidence earning esteemed nods from the others.

"And you don't find that odd?" Heero narrowed his eyes towards the raven-haired Spirit Detective.

"Uhh, no. I don't." Yusuke shrugged nonchalantly.

Heero could only stare at his teammate with an unreadable expression. He was befuddled beyond the telling of it, as an aching feeling continued to swell up within him that yesterday's challenge was indeed their twelfth.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I truly can only remember having 11 challenges myself. But if yesterday was indeed our 12th challenge, then I'm going to attain the challenge list from the producers. *PULLS OUT A GUN AND BEGINS STROKING THE SAFETY MECHANISM* By **_**any**_** means necessary. *STARES AT CAMERA PSYCHOTICALLY***

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

Lacus and Cagalli stood in the bedroom mirror styling their individual mops. Lacus curling the ends of her flowing, pink mane, and Cagalli choosing to simply pin her hair up from her face. The weather channel had stated that the temperature was going to hit a scorching 88 degrees fahrenheit. It had been a mostly peaceful morning in the girl's villa, save for the muffled noises of Bra blasting "What's My Name?" by Rihanna in the room right below hers and Cagalli's. Throwing her hair over her right shoulder for better access, she absently hummed and nodded her head in time with the tune that played in the background.

Suddenly, she heard the rough noise of her cell phone vibrating on the nightstand, its special three vibrates indicating that she had a text message. Picking it up, she noticed that it was a text from Kurama, the message that lied upon her screen quite troubling. "Oh, no."

"What's wrong?" Cagalli questioned as she applied a few more hairpins to the messy bun that rested at the top of her head.

"Cagalli, I think the boys may be starting to remember what happened." Lacus swallowed nervously.

"What are you talking about?" Cagalli turned to face her friend then, a wary look plastered upon her features.

"You know..._what happened_?" Lacus tried to drop a few hints, Cagalli shaking her head in confusion, not catching on. "Bacon? PMS? Ice?"

Catching on, Cagalli immediately became anxious. "Oh BLEEP!" She nibbled on her thumbnail idly, trying to figure out a damage control plan, until a thought hit her. "Hey, wait a minute. How is that possible? And wait! How do you even know about it?" Cagalli frowned.

"Cagalli! Focus!" Lacus dodged. "If the boys fully remember what we did to them, do you know what could happen?" Lacus implicated.

Getting back on target and thinking of the many revenge plots that could be brewing within the demented minds of the boys if they were beginning to remember, Cagalli rushed out of the bedroom to warn the rest of the team. "Faye! Where's Faye!" Cagalli called for the sassy bounty hunter.

"She's in her room." Kagome peeked her head out of her room, she could tell that Cagalli was apprehensive about something. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Tell her we need to hold an emergency house meeting! NOW!"

_**Moments later...**_

The girls all gathered in the common area of their villa engaged in a rather intense house meeting. Faye, along with the rest of her team, was trying to come up with a quick solution to keep the guys from remembering the 'Frozen Solid' challenge. She sat at the bar counter, resting her head on one hand as the other fiddled absently with the strayed crumbs that rested upon its cool surface. "Yukina."

"Y-yes, Faye?" Yukina answered frantically.

"You think you could concoct another memory erasing potion? Maybe mixing it together with the estrogen potion is why it wasn't effective." Faye suggested.

"Faye, I..." Yukina trailed. She was uncomfortable with going through with such a thing for what would now be the third time. Or was it the fourth? "I can't do that."

**Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I honestly think that I have over-drugged the boys since the beginning of this competition. I fear that they will have serious health problems later on in life because of it. After all, my drugs come from another dimension. A Hell dimension. And that can't be at all healthy. o_O**

"What do you mean, you can't?" Faye was getting biligerent.

"I mean, that I simply...will do no such thing." Yukina tried to sound confident but her cracking voice betrayed her.

"Why? Do you have _any_ idea what those bastards will do to us if they remember what we did to them?" Faye shivered slightly at the thought.

"I understand that you're afraid, and I am too-"

"I'm not _afraid_ just...I don't want any trouble from them." Faye denied.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) Oh please. She was practically pissing her pants. I know fear when I see it, and Faye wasn't fooling anyone.**

"I won't do it, Faye." Yukina shook her head in opposition.

"BLEEP." Faye growled. "Well does the drug that you gave them have a time limit or something? Because I can't imagine why they'd all of a sudden just start remembering out of the blue like that."

Yukina hesitated to answer, knowing that the truth would undoubtedly cause an uproar amongst her teammates, but she could no longer dodge the truth. It had to come out at some point. And so she finally came clean. "Umm...y-yes." She winced as all of the girls went into a panic.

"What the BLEEP, Yukina!" Bra shrieked.

"You can't be serious!" Came Sango's terrified voice.

"Seriously, Yukina?" Hilde interjected flatly.

The blue-haired Ice Maiden was becoming nervous from all of the confusion as she tried to hold back tears. This drew the attention of Keiko who then took it upon herself to try and calm the other girls down.

"Hey, come on guys. Go easy on her okay?" Keiko pleaded. Most of the girls had calmed down at this point, save for the many protests that they mumbled under their breath.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I was starting to feel bad for her. I mean, yeah, I was miffed that she didn't tell us this ahead of time, but knowing Yukina, she likes to try her best not to make people worry or upset. Usually people like her end up eating their own feet as a hobby, though. Girl needs some confidence, that's for sure.**

"Yukina. Sweetie," Faye began as she tried to maintain an even tone, "do you mind explaining why you didn't warn us about that very important detail _before_ you gave us the drug?"

"I..." Yukina trailed as she swallowed the developing lump in her throat. "I was...afraid that you'd be mad at me." She lowered her ruby eyes to the ground and stared at her feet pensively.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Mad? Now where the hell would she get a **_**crazy-ass**_** idea like that? It's only the one thing standing between us and a brutal ass kicking from the guys' team. A few of which are currently staying under the same roof as us. Why I can't think of a more relaxing thought as I go to sleep every night. That trumps warm milk for sure! Good job, Yukina! Good job! *SARCASTIC APPLAUSE***

"Damn it, Yukina!" Faye started.

"Faye, easy." Keiko tried to calm the other woman, she could tell that Yukina was on the brink of a teary breakdown.

"No, no, she needs to hear this! Look, that little mousy BLEEP that you've been skating by with while in this competition isn't gonna get us anywhere! In fact, it's only going to screw us. So either you grow a pair and learn to speak up about BLEEP like this or go the BLEEP home!" Faye berated the small Ice Demon.

"Faye, please." Botan also tried to come to Yukina's defense. The blue-haired demoness was beginning to shake to hold back tears.

"Whoa." Flay widened her eyes at the display.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) Wow. I haven't seen Faye this pissed off since the Strip Jeopardy boycott incident. I actually felt kinda sorry for Yukina. But then, I just got pissed at her again. I mean, geez Yukina! Stand up for yourself for once and just tell that bitch to back off! If it wasn't for you, the guys would've remembered everything even sooner. Ugh! Some people are just so ungrateful, ya know?**

***YES WE DO FLAY. YES WE DO.* -_-**

"I'm...so...sorry, Faye. I..." Yukina sniffed as two tears slid down her flushed cheeks, falling onto the floor in the form of two tear gems.

"I'm just saying you should've..." Faye trailed, silencing herself immediately as she watched in awe as the tear gems rolled toward her feet. Picking them up, she noticed that they had weight to them. Puzzled, she turned to face the other girls in the room for an explanation. "Uhh...what the hell just happened?"

"Yukina is an Ice Maiden." Botan blurted.

"Yeah. I don't know what that means." Faye responded flatly.

"Well, whenever she cries, her tears turn into priceless gems that actually sell quite well on the Human World Black Market." Botan unwisely explained, causing Keiko to suck her teeth in annoyance.

"Botan." Keiko grasped the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in disapproval.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) She's dumb. She's just **_**really**_** dumb.**

Immediately seeing dollar signs, Faye's demeanor changed drastically. "Did anyone else know that she could do this?" Faye questioned fervently earning a barrage of negative answers and shaking heads. "You're telling me that she basically produces tear gems...I'm sorry, _priceless_ tear gems whenever she's upset?" Faye needed affirmation.

"That's correct." Botan perked.

"Botan! Ohmygod!" Keiko released an exasperated sigh.

"Seriously!" Kagome exclaimed. She couldn't believe the blue-haired deities naivete.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Faye's always going on, and on about her endless amount of debt. She's also a conniving b-i-t-c-h. And you tell someone like her that she's basically living under the same roof with a gold mine? Did she like come down from the heavens and leave her brain on the other side of the pearly gates or what? o_O**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Hmm. Debt. Black Market. Endless supply of priceless tear gems. *DEVIOUS SMIRK* I don't think I need to say anything futher.**

Faye then began to walk towards the Ice Maiden. Deceptive plotting highly evident within her emerald gaze. "Yukina. Sweetie pie. I am soooo sorry that I yelled at you like I did."

"Aaand, here we go." Android 18 walked out of the common area then. She just couldn't watch the display.

Yukina sniffed as Faye approached her slowly. "You...mean that?"

"Of course I do." Faye draped an arm over Yukina's shoulder, pulling the shorter girl closer.

"So, you're not...mad at me anymore?" Another tear gem fell from her face then, Faye discreetly placing her foot over its fallen form and dragging it closer to herself.

"Mad? NOOOO. I'm not mad. I was just...a little frustrated that you didn't feel comfortable to be more open with me. After all, we are teammates, right?" Faye pressed.

Pan and Bra could only turn their backs at the display. "Come on, she can't fall for that." Pan shook her head.

"Are you kidding? As sheltered as she is, she'd believe _I_ was capable of supplying a sincere apology." Bra rolled her eyes.

"Tell ya what, Yukina," Faye continued, "why don't we go upstairs to my room so that we can...talk this out, hmm?" Faye prodded.

"O-okay." Yukina nodded as she started toward the other's room.

Quickly retrieving the other tear gem, Faye rushed Yukina further upstairs to her room, shutting the door tightly once inside.

"What a dumbass." Bra spat. "Anyone who believes Faye is sincere is pathetically idiotic and deserves whatever wrath the boys gift them with when they find out what we did."

"What did you do?" Trunks announced his presence with his question as Hiei, Wufei and himself entered into the common area with furrowed eyebrows, much to the girls' surprise. They had all forgotten that a few of the boys were rooming with them until White Shore was fully repaired.

"Oh." Bra smiled brightly, trying desperately to retain her anxiety. "Morning boys. How long have you been standing there?" Bra maintained her pleasant smile.

"Just walked in." Wufei answered simply with a suspicious look. "What were you all talking about?" He question coyly, Trunks and Hiei staring at all of the girls with a suspicious gleam in their eyes.

"Oh, nothing!" Kagome chimed in with a nervous laugh. "We do this every morning. We like to have house meetings on challenge days to help keep up the morale. No biggy!"

"Morale." Wufei repeated with an unconvinced expression upon his face.

"Yep," Kagome nodded feverishly, "it's all for morale! Teamwork, teamwork!" She smiled wryly.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) Morale? Dung beetles come up with less bullBLEEP than that. **

"Right." Wufei narrowed his eyes at Kagome for a moment before speaking once more. "Where is the bathroom?" He questioned, his suspicion rising once all of the girls pointed into the same direction...at the same time. "Thank you." Casting them all a weird look, Wufei slowly made his way toward the bathroom, trying his best to ignore their strange behavior.

There was a moment of silence until Hiei quickly grabbed a hold of Trunks' arm, startling the half-Saiyan, prince. "What? What's wrong, man?" Trunks spared the Fire Demon an inquisitive glance. He noticed that Hiei had widened eyes glued upon the girls, specifically Pan.

"Not here." Hiei stated in a dark tone as he calmly guided Trunks out of the front door, the girls watching them intensely with their exit.

"What do you suppose _that_ was about?" Sango questioned.

"I don't know, but I certainly hope it wasn't what I think." Botan worried her lower lip idly.

"Why? What do you think it was?" Blue asked the deity, who could only shake her head slowly in response.

"Ladies, please tell me that you were all focusing on a random thought like I've told you." Botan pleaded and was relieved as they all nodded their heads yes. Well. All except for Pan who appearred anxious and uncomfortable.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Oops. O_O**

_**Meanwhile in White Shore...**_

"The girls cheated." Hiei confidently announced to his teammates who all gathered around the Fire Demon to gain more information.

"I KNEW it!" Yusuke chimed, earning nods from his housemates.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) How did I find that out, you ask? Let's just say that surprisingly, Pan is capable of thought.**

"Details, man! Details!" Ed prodded.

"I was only able to attain minor details, but as it stands, we were drugged to forget an entire challenge." Hiei explained.

"Son of a bitch." Spike sighed as he leaned back in the recliner musedly. Revenge plots were already brewing in his twisted mind.

"I don't believe this BLEEP!" Inuyasha growled. "They drugged us so that we would forget an entire challenge? Why the hell would they do that?"

"Obviously because there's something they don't want us to remember, dogbreath!" Koga spat. He too was brainstorming revenge methods, even before fully learning what the girls had done.

"Hey, Hiei," Ed began, "is there a way to restore our memories?"

"If what I learned was true, then I know exactly which potion Yukina used." Hiei started.

"Sweet. So now what?" Kuwabara pressed.

"There is a spell that will help to hasten its deterioration. I will need to travel briefly to Makai in order to gather the proper supplies." Hiei informed. Not giving his teammates time to question further, he flashed out of the villa, his destination set for a remote location in Makai.

"Right then." Miroku watched as Hiei retreated the villa with lightening speed. It was strange. The more the monk was involved with the competition, the more he found himself disliking women.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) This competition is RUINING me!**

"Where did Hiei take off to?" Kurama entered into the common area.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Yzak began snidely. "He's going to wherever the hell you freaks are from to get materials for a memory restoration spell."

"Oh dear." Kurama swallowed quietly.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Once again, I am torn. If I discourage Hiei from doing the spell, then I'll appear extremely suspicious. After all, why would I not want to know if the girls cheated and my team missed an opportunity to arise victorious? On the other hand, if I allow Hiei to go through with the spell, then I'll have lost Lacus' trust. **

"I..." Kurama trailed nervously. "...I have to grow something. Gentlemen?" And with haste and a bow, he made his way out of White Shore toward the girls' pool house.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) So I decided that the best solution was flight and chose to be conveniently absent during the spell. If I don't see it, I can't stop it, and I maintain my relationship with Lacus. *AWKWARD PAUSE* You know, that plan sounded much more intelligent in my head.**

_Moments Later..._

Hiei had returned with the needed supplies from Makai, the boys having already recieved their text message about the next challenge. He started once they all hurriedly surrounded him, apparently eager to proceed with the spell and restore their lost memories.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I swear I haven't been this excited since age twelve when I discovered scrambled porn.**

"Have we received instruction on our next challenge?" Hiei questioned as he began to set up for the spell.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure!" Dearka waived fervently.

"What did it say, Dearka?" Hiei continued, as he lit a few candles in a circle.

"I dunno, something about Russell Crowe. Just hurry with the spell, man!" Dearka rushed.

"Patience. It's not wise to hasten the dark arts." Hiei warned.

"Yeah. Whatever. Just get the BLEEP done." Dearka retorted flatly.

"I need everyone to sit before a lit candle." Hiei wasn't surprised when his teammates all scattered to find a candle to sit in front of.

"Hiei, man, these things reek!" Kira bewailed, contorting his face in disgust from the stench of the candles.

"Really!" Athrun gagged. "What the hell is that?"

"These candles are made from the wax of a demon." Hiei explained as he sat a bowl filled with foreign ingredients in the middle of the circle, sitting down beside the small contraption.

"Ugh," Spike retched, "what kind of wax? _Ass_ wax?" He noticed the affirming look in Hiei's eyes, and he couldn't help but choke back vomit. "Oh COME on!"

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) **_**That's **_**why the candles were brown. Now it makes sense. Okay, dark magic is gross. o_O**

"We don't have to hold hands or any of that other _Twilight_ homoerotic BLEEP do we?" Yzak griped, causing Hiei to only roll his eyes.

"Yes, Yzak." Dearka started blandly. "And as soon as it's over, we're all gonna sparkle like fairies in the sunlight."

"Well now. Won't _that_ be the final touch?" Spike chuckled as he spared the two Coordinators a knowing look.

"Shut the hell up!" Dearka and Yzak chorused acerbically.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) That's right fellas. Keep raggin' on yaoi. The more you do, the more I'm convinced that you secretly like it. Now, dance puppets! Dance!**

"Quiet." Hiei snipped as the final ingredient was added to the centered bowl. "It's starting." The Fire Demon then placed his hand over the bowl, a blue flame emmitting from his palm as it set the contents of the bowl ablaze. A gust of wind filled throughout the villa then as the flames of the candles grew larger and more fierce. Soonafter, all flames died out and nothing but smoke within the bowl was left in its wake. The smoke then split into twenty individual segments as it shot toward all of the boy, entering into their beings through their nostrils. The invasion caused them all to lurch backwards, their bodies motionless as it mystically snaked its way throughout their system.

There was a stillness that resided within the villa before a shockwave emanated within all of its inhabitants, causing them to grasp their craniums instinctively.

"Ah, what the BLEEP!" Duo cried as he grasped his forehead, a sharp pain taking over where his palm rested.

Shortly after, memories of the day of the 'Frozen Solid' challenge began to flood their minds rapidly. And they could all have died at what they saw...

_"How are you boys feeling?" Faye questioned slyly._

_"Like you care." Inuyasha growled._

_"No, really, I'd like to know." Faye pressed._

_"Fine! If you must know, my back hurts, my head hurts, I'm tired, bloated and I feel like BLEEP! Would you like me to write any of that down for you?" Inuyasha snipped._

_"Wow that sucks." Pan pretended to care. "Maybe you ate too much bacon." With that statement she earned a bunch of silent chuckles from the other girls on her team._

_"Puh! Whatever! Leave me alone!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes..._

_..."I can't take this anymore! I have cramps!" Goten squeaked. And at five minutes and fifty-three seconds he stood up and left, unfortunately bumping into and knocking off the sleigh Ayame and Trunks as he did so..._

**...**_Hiei began to squirm in his seat. He was becoming uncomfortable. Well, not that sitting on ice in a speedo was exactly a walk in the park. His lower stomach was starting to feel as if someone was stabbing him with a knife...and then twisting it. "Ow." Hiei ground out under his breath._

_"Uh-oh. He's not looking so good!" Kuwabara observed..._

_...As a reflex, Hiei began to bend forward slightly, hoping that the minor position change would soothe the pain that was steadily growing in his lower abdomen and groinal area. "Okay, seriously now...ow!" Hiei forced through gritted teeth._

_"Hiei, are you alright?" Yukina asked as she watched the Fire Demon sit awkwardly on the ice, his face twisting as if to be in severe pain._

_"Does it look like I'm okay, Yukina? I mean, really!" Hiei bit back..._

_..."Alright Hiei, your time is four hours and forty-five minutes. Which makes the winner for today's challenge-"_

_"Don't say it! I can't bear to hear it!" Ed whined._

_"Uhh, the winner of Frozen Solid is..."_

_"NO!" Ed begged as tears began to gather in his eyes._

_"...The ladies." Jonny finished._

_"OH GOD!" Ed wailed breaking into a rather unmanly sob. "WHY? WHYYYY?" Ed continued to wail and sob as he too fell to his knees utterly devastated by his team's loss, but expressing his disappointment in a highly over dramatized fashion..._

_...The boys had all decided to ease their pain and disappointment by relaxing in bubble baths, giving one another facials, hitting the local corner store in search of comfort food, and watching a slew of chick flicks. The current feature being _He's Just Not That Into You.

_"Oh when are you ever gonna get a clue?" Athrun griped at the male character in the movie as he proceeded to squeeze Hershey's chocolate syrup into his mouth followed by a tablespoon full of strawberry shortcake flavored ice cream, topped off with a squirt of whip cream into his mouth. "Give it up she's never gonna love you! You're too different! You come from different worlds! It'll never work!" The blue-haired Coordinator shouted with an overstuffed mouth..._

_**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) I miss my girlfriend! *CRYING RATHER PATHETICALLY* I have to text her! I'm totally in my right state of mind to do that! *OBVIOUSLY DELUSIONAL*...**_

_"...Back away, from the brownie." Hiei warned darkly._

_"Why do you always have to be such a bitch, Hiei?" Kuwabara whined as he stormed off up the stairs to his room..._

_..."I keep telling you that it doesn't work!" Trunks whined to Inuyasha as he curled up in a fetal position on his bed._

_"Well I dunno what you want me to do about it! I have cramps too ya know! Now do you want the BLEEPING heating pad or not!" Inuyasha squeeked._

_"NO DAMN IT! I need MEDICATION! Can't you see that I'm in BLEEPING pain here!" Trunks' voice cracked as tears began to form in his eyes._

_"I'm in pain too you selfish bitch! The rest of the guys cleaned us out of Ibuprofen! I don't know what you want from me!" Inuyasha huffed._

_"What part of 'get your ass to the store and buy us some more' don't you BLEEPING understand?" The shrill tone of Trunks' voice had increased exponentially as the half-Saiyan, rigorously trained, fighter had gone into a full blown teary breakdown at this point._

_"And what part of, 'my back hurts, my head hurts, I'm nauseated, bloated, cramping, irritated and don't feel like going anywhere' don't YOU BLEEPING understand?" Inuyasha's voice cracked as a lump developed in his throat. He could feel the tears beginning to form as his emotions began to take over reasoning._

_"Ohmygod! Get out! Just leave me alone! You're useless! BLEEPING useless! I can't get ANY help around here!" Trunks whined and sobbed into his pillow as he turned over onto his side, a sharp pain in his groin and abdomen ailing him further. _

_"FINE!" Inuyasha stormed out of Trunks' room, slamming the door upon his exit._

_"Oh God make it stop!" The half-Saiyan continued to sob uncontrollably._

A brief moment of silence plagued White Shore as their minds settled, not one of them bothering to stare one another in the eyes from the humiliation of what had happened on that fateful day. Embarrassed by the memories, they all decided to retreat to their rooms to prepare for the next challenge without sparing one another so much as a glance or acknowledgement of existence.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) I must say, they've truly outdone themselves. This is worse than the pink hair, perverted photos, and Tigre combined. Which of course means...**

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Those bitches are DEAD!**

_**13th Challenge: Gladiator!**_

The challengers arrived to find Jonny standing by a dock where several boats were ported. One in particular stood out as it had _MTV Anime Challenge_ painted on the side, and was being prepped to depart. The afternoon sun burned ruthlessly in the cloudless sky as the 88 degrees made itself known and present amongst them.

"Well hello, there. Hot enough for ya?" Jonny greeted the challengers. He noticed that the boys' team was oddly silent and emotionless. He decided it best not to question the issue further.

"Oh yeah." Botan breathed as she absently brushed a bead of sweat from her brow.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Honestly, can Florida get any hotter? We were standing by water for crying outloud! If I didn't know any better, I'd say it added to our humidity problem.**

"Well challengers, today your challenge will be taking place on City Island. Hence, our presence here at Halifax Harbor Marina and our boat." Jonny explained the purpose of the boat, the challengers nodding as they all listened to their host intently. "The challenge will be held in the Jackie Robinson Ballpark, and no you will not be playing baseball." Jonny concluded, earning sighs of disappointment from the challengers. "Alrighty ladies, gentlemen, let's load her up!" Jonny instructed as they all headed for the boat to proceed to the aforementioned City Island.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) Okay, I don't know if it was my imagination or what, but the boys seemed extra distant today. They wouldn't even look at us. So that likely implies that we are thoroughly screwed for the day! *SARCASTIC SMILE***

After a short boat ride, the challengers arrived to the island and entered into the ballpark. What they saw was enough to even spark a reaction in the currently stony gazes of the boys.

"Wow." Kiba breathed.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guy) Slightly average and mediocre ballpark on the outside. Elaborate, suprisingly accurate amphitheater on the inside. Way to pay attention to detail, MTV. **

As they slowly entered into the ballpark, they found that it had been re-styled to look like an authentic gladiator battle arena of ancient Rome, complete with a full crowd of zealous spectators. Their indistinctive chatter could be heard resonating throughout the arena as the challengers studied the interior with inquistive stares and awestruck gazes.

"Oh. My. God." Faye was in shock as she and her teammates viewed the arena, widened eyes glazed over with anxiety. Her feeling of uneasiness was exacerbated once she noticed that the boys seemed almost thrilled at the sight of the arena. It was almost as if they were excited to start the challenge. "Hmm."

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Let's see. The boys are excited at the sight of chains, pointed weapons, and caged wild beasts. That can't be good. O_O**

Jonny then stood before the challengers, a pleased smirk plastered upon his features. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your 13th challenge, _Gladiator_!"

This announcement caused Trunks to lean over toward Yusuke, tapping the other's shoulder to gain his attention. "You heard that? He said _13th_ challenge!" Trunks whispered frantically.

"Yep." Yusuke replied simply. He spared Heero a knowing look, the other nodding in return.

The ex-Wing Zero pilot narrowed his eyes unconsciously toward the girls, still nodding absently as if to be confirming the outcome of the challenge in favor of his team.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) Today's challenge couldn't be more appropriately timed. *DARK SMIRK***

"If you all know your world history, you would know that a gladiator of ancient times, specifically Rome, was by all accounts...a slave." Jonny continued with his explanation earning wary stares from the competitors.

"Hate. Where this. Is going." Serena gulped.

"To maintain authenticity, during this challenge, you will belong to us." Jonny added with a smirk.

"Skip to the part where we start kicking ass." Spike interrupted darkly.

"This challenge will proceed as accurately as made possible by MTV as a traditional, ancient Roman, Gladitorial event, hence the thousands of anticipating spectators in the stands." Jonny gestured toward the crowded ballpark which from this point on was considered an arena. "Traditionally, the games begin with a musically accompanied procession that includes the combatants...i.e., YOU, and is led by the sponser of the games known as the editor...i.e., ME." Jonny pointed. "Usually mock fights and animal displays would take place during this time. However, we've changed things up a bit." Jonny smiled.

"He's smiling again." Serena cowered as she whispered to Kagome. "I really don't like it when he smiles."

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) When Jonny smiles, bad things always happen. ALWAYS! Someone get that man a Hannibal Lector muzzle, please!**

"Instead of the mock fights and animal displays, we're just going to proceed with the battles. Starting with the Bestiarius category." Jonny explained earning confused stares from the challengers.

"I'm sorry the 'what' category?" Aeka frowned.

"Oops, I almost forgot the most important part." Jonny brightened with an even wider smile than before. "There are different types of gladiators, of which you've all been randomly designated as." Jonny then retrieved a list from his pocket and began scanning his eyes over the small document. "The types of gladiators are Thracian, Secutor, Retiarius, and Bestiarius. All with different armor, fighting styles, and specialties. Secutors and Retiarius are usually always matched as Bestiarius are usually matched with animals or any of the other three. For the Bestiarii battles, we've supplied lions, tigers, and bears."

"Oh my." Lacus breathed nervously.

"And bulls."

"Oh BLEEP." Faye started.

"So wait!" Cagalli chimed. "We're actually going to be fighting each other? Like with weapons and stuff?" Cagalli swallowed nervously.

"Of course." Jonny stated in an obvious tone. "How else are we going to be entertained?"

"You _can't _be serious!" Cagalli protested.

"Chill out, kills are done by removing flags chained to your armor." Jonny waved passively.

"But-"

"Your category assignments are as follows." Jonny cut off Cagalli's ensuing rant. "Please listen to this carefully as I will only read it once. For the boys team we have as Retiarii: Dearka, Wufei, Yzak, Spike, and Kuwabara. Secutors are: Duo, Athrun, Heero, Kira, and Miroku. Thracians are: Ed, Android 17, Hiei, Yusuke and Kurama. And Bestiarii are: Kiba, Trunks, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Koga. Your trainers or lanistas as they are referred to in the games will brief you on your armor, weapons, and traditional fighting styles in the locker room, or cage...whatever they're calling it. See you in a few!" Jonny dismissed the boys to exit with Brad and another gentlemen whom they'd never seen before toward their locker...err...cage.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I was pumped today. I don't think I've ever been so eager to kick someone's ass before. And that's saying something because I have a serious fighting problem.**

"Ladies," Jonny turned his attention to the girls team, "your Retiarii are Pan, Bra, Android 18, Ryoko, and Aeka. Secutors are: Sango, Botan, Lacus, Faye, and Hilde. Thracians are: Serena, Cagalli, Kagome, Miriallia, and Winry. And Bestiarii are: Blue, Yukina, Cheza, Flay, and Keiko. You'll find your lanistas to your right and they'll brief you as well. Good luck ladies!" Jonny dismissed the girls to exit with two new women. It was assumed that their lanistas were experts in the field of ancient Roman Gladiator fighting. Which was good, because they were desperately going to need the assistance.

"Am I the only one who noticed that Jonny only wished _us_ luck and not the boys?" Winry observed.

"Maybe it's because he realizes we're the ones that truly need it." Sango mused with a worried sigh.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) The boys were generally quiet during Jonny's entire explanation. **_**Too**_** quiet.**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) What do I think? *AWKWARD SILENCE* Honestly. I think we're BLEEPED.**

_**Boys briefing...**_

"So this is how this is gonna work fellas," Brad began as he stood in the locker room before a chalkboard to commence his explanation of the game. "the object of this game is to basically remove your opponent's flag from their armor. BUT since it's chained, you'll have to obviously incapacitate them in order to do it. It's a simple snap-chain, but just pulling it won't get it off, you'll have to literally get close enough to them to release the hook. Hence why they need to be incapacitated somehow."

"Sounds great!" Trunks clapped even as a few of his other teammates nodded their agreement.

"Right." Brad just stared blankly at the boys, they were taking the game way too seriously in his opinion. "Oookay...each match is worth 500 points to your personal score and 1000 to your team score. Animal matches are worth 1000 to your personal score and 2000 to your team score. There is a ten minute time limit set for each match. If the match goes over, it's declared a draw and neither team wins points. The team member who wins a match in the quickest time wins that Chibi Wolf Hero thing, and the team prize." Brad paused suddenly causing an awkward silence to fill the room.

"Which is...?" Yusuke pressed.

"Oh! Right! And _iPad2_."

_**Girls briefing...**_

"All this for a BLEEPING _iPad2_? Are you _kidding_ me?" Hilde shrieked. She and the girls had been listening to their lanistas explain the dynamics and rules of the game. And the more they learned, the more they wished that time would just stop. Immediately.

"And double the final prize money." The blonde lanista finished with a knowing smile.

"I'm sorry, what?" Faye perked.

"Your final prize is $50,000, correct?" The brunette then spoke.

"Uhhh, yeeeah." Faye nodded slowly.

"Well if you double that, then you get what?"

"One hundred thousand...they're doubling the final prize to one hundred freaking thousand dollars?" Faye was astonished.

"Yep! To whichever team wins this challenge. It'll be banked for them. And if that team wins the final challenge also, they get the 100k." The blonde lanista perked.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Faye doubled over onto a bench as she leaned her back against the cool row of lockers.

"I know," Android 18 sighed, "way to give them incentive to brutally kick our asses."

"18," Keiko worried her lower lip, "I think they already _had_ incentive." She spared the blonde android a knowing look.

"In that case, way to sign our death warrants, MTV." Android 18 plopped down on the bench next to Faye resting her face in the palms of her hands.

"Girls, I don't think that we should be so negative about this." Lacus began. "If we work together, and truly encourage one another instead of focusing on-"

"Oh shut-up, Lacus." Android 18's exasperated voice was muffled from beneath her hands. She didn't even bother to spare the pink-haired girl a look, she was so frustrated.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) *MOCKINGLY* "If we work together, hold hands, and sing songs, maybe the boys will find it in their hearts to use lubrication when they rape us." Lacus. This is **_**so**_** not the time for your peace, smiles, and sunshine bullBLEEP. -_-**

"Okay, ladies, this is how your matches are going to go." The blonde lanista began. "The Bestiarii will go first, then the others. You all know your categories. You all know what armor and weapons to use. The rest is your own personal fighting skill...if you have any." She noticed that Keiko, Flay, Cheza, and Yukina all appeared painfully terrified. "Here are your matches." She flipped the chalk board over to reveal a graph of sorts that broke down their opponents. "Blue you will battle Kiba."

"Figures." Blue rolled her eyes.

"The two of you will wear collars that hold your flags. You are free to use whatever fighting style is comfortable to you. Just don't kill each other...I mean like really REALLY kill each other."

"I'll try to resist the urge." Blue stated flatly.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) Can't say the same for Kiba. I just hope he's updated on his shots. I seriously can't afford to get ill from the several billion wolf bites that I know he will be just eager to inflict today.**

"Yukina." The lanista gained the Ice Maiden's attention.

"Yes?" Yukina answered hoarsely.

"You will battle a tiger."

"O-okay." Yukina nodded in submission.

"Cheza, your opponent is a bear. Keiko your opponent is a bull, try to summon your inner matador. And Flay, you will battle a lion."

"What?" Flay gulped. "How...why...what?" Her face became deathly pale and her mouth suddenly dry.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) The whole time I thought that they were just being sarcastic or something about the thing with the animals. But my god they were freaking serious. O_O**

"The animals will also be wearing collars with a flag chained to it. Retrieve it. If you are struck by the animal, you lose."

"Ya don't say!" Flay blurted with heavy sarcasm.

_**Boys briefing...**_

"Is there going to be a medic on site...and actually available this time?" Trunks questioned dryly. While he was not thrilled at learning that he would be battling a tiger, he wasn't afraid. Annoyed. But fear was an unknown concept to him at this point.

"Yes." Brad answered simply.

"Okay. Proceed." Trunks waved.

"Sesshomaru you're going against a bear. Inuyasha is fighting a lion, and Koga a bull." Brad finished.

"Bring it on." Inuyasha smirked as he absently cracked his knuckles.

"And now for the rest of you guys." Brad started. "Here's the match list: Miroku vs. Pan, Kira vs. Bra, Heero vs. Android 18, Athrun vs. Ryoko, Duo vs. Aeka, Dearka vs. Sango, Wufei vs. Botan, Yzak vs. Lacus, Spike vs. Faye, Kuwabara vs. Hilde, Yusuke vs. Serena, Kurama vs. Cagalli, Hiei vs. Kagome, Android 17 vs. Miriallia, and Ed vs. Winry."

"Alright let's do this men! OO-RAH!" Yusuke hyped up his teammates by bringing back their old cheer to which they all joined.

"Umm, your armor and weapons are in the lockers with your names on them. Good luck. And have fun." Brad encouraged.

"Oh we will have fun, my friend." Yusuke vowed, grimly. "We _will_ have fun."

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) And at the girls' expense. You wanna dope us up with estrogen, bitches? Well we're given it right back to you in large doses of cold, hard, testosterone. This is not a game. This...is BLEEPING war. AGAIN!**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) BLEEPED! We are BLEEPED! *TERRIFIED*  
**

_**To be continued...**_


	20. Gladiator, Part 2

A/N: Hello and welcome to Part 2 of the Gladiator challenge! I apologize for taking so long with the revamp of this, but I won't lie, I think I got a little carried away. This was supposed to be the conclusion and once again I noticed that it was over thirty pages long before it even proceeded to the main matches. So then I had to split up THIS chapter as well. I tried to condense and debate whether to do something else with it, but then I thought, what the hell, make it a three parter. Whatever. So this challenge is still not done after I decided to add in every match. Either way, hope you're not too annoyed with my indecisiveness on whether or not to extend or condense but hey I'm still in the game and that's all that matters. If you're just dying to know what's going on between updates, I'm quite consistent with my Twitter, so check it out at VampSlaying101. I hope you enjoy this one because two things, 1) I wrote it in a very odd mood, 2) A lot of it is really random. But what else is new? You all knew what you were getting into the moment you clicked on the first chapter. I'm done trying to explain my twisted mind. Just read it, lol!

**Disclaimer: **I own none of these characters, except for the ones that I own.

**Song Disclaimers: **"Did It On 'Em" by Nicki Minaj; "E.T." by Katy Perry

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 20: Gladiator, Part 2**

The roaring sounds of the crowd's cheers echoed throughout the arena as Jonny approached the center of the sand covered fighting ring. Having exchanged his usual Hawaiian print shirts and shorts for a traditional editor garb of Ancient Roman origin, he felt extra special and important as he held his microphone taut between his fist. And also very hot. The garments were actually not summer heat friendly. "What's up Daytona!" The crowd became even more excited as Jonny bellowed into his mic, many of them standing to their feet to cheer on, heavily anticipating the upcoming battles. "Are you ready...for PAIN?" The crowd cheered their zealous response. "VIOLENCE?" The cheers of the crowd grew with excitement on every word that Jonny shouted. "MAYHEM?" They had progressed to stomping their feet in the stands, causing the arena to sound as if it was holding its own personsal thunderstorm. "And DESTRUCTION?" He could hear the large waves of 'yeahs' that swam throughout the arena. "Well then you've come to the right place! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you...Anime Battle Royale 2011! Let's get ready to rumbleeeee!"

Meanwhile in the bullpen area, the competitors tried to mentally prepare themselves for the ensuing matches. The girls were especially nervous, knowing that the boys had no intentions on holding back. Jonny's little introduction speech did very little to ease their fears as well.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I think Jonny's speech really motivated the boys. Which basically means that he made it worse. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he knew they were upset with us and did it on purpose. He _is_ a guy after all. And right now, I don't trust anything with a penis. Nope not even you Pu-chan. *PU-CHAN FLOATS OVER HER HEAD FROM OUT OF NOWHERE***

**Pu-chan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Yusuke's kawaii soul monster thingy) *ANGRILY JUMPING ON KEIKO'S HEAD* Puuuu! Puuuuu! Puuuu! *STARTS GUMMING HER HAIR WITH HIS BEAK***

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Great. Now he hates me too. -_-**

"I don't like this. I don't like this. I don't like this." Serena anxiously murmured under her breath.

"Serena, chill." Android 18 rolled her eyes. She wasn't worried about her opponent, but she had very low hopes for the majority of her team.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) When it comes to fighting, let's face it, I'm badass. But I can't really speak for the others. We have a few fighters, and you all saw what Bra can do. But Yukina, Cheza, Flay, Keiko, Serena, Lacus...ugh, we just have **_**way**_** too many weak links on our team in terms of fighting. Way more than the boys, and that little handicap is definitely gonna screw us.**

The heavy, baritone, growls of caged lions could be heard from where they waited, and it caused the Bestiarii of their team to shift uneasily in their seats. Flay was especially losing grip with reality.

"Ohmygod I can't do this!" Flay shrieked as she backed up against a wall. She could see the lanistas rolling out two male lions, one of which she knew was for her the other being for Inuyasha. Its exaggerated, thick, mane and broad shoulders gave it a ferociously powerful and majestic appearance. Its amber eyes locked with her blue-grey ones momentarily and it was almost as if they were marking her soul with their scrutiny. "N-n-no, no, no, no, I can NOT do this! I can't! I just can't! I wanna go home!"

"Flay!" Miriallia interrupted the raspberry haired girl's freak-out session with a clean slap to the other's face. Flay instinctively brought her hand up to palm the area where Miriallia's hand had just made contact as she stared with voided eyes at the ground. "Pull yourself together!" Miriallia grabbed hold of Flay's shoulders to shake her out of her developing daze. "It's just a really big cat, okay?" Miriallia spared the aforementioned 'big cat' a glance, the action causing her throat to go dry. "A really, _really_ big cat." She finished with widened eyes.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) That thing was HUGE! I've been to the zoo before, and I've visited the lion exhibit, but this thing was just gargantuan! They had to have been giving it something like steroids, because I've never seen anything like it! I mean that thing was robust! I felt really bad for Flay. I can't imagine having to go into the ring with that monstrosity. I'd probably faint the second they opened the gate. **

The boys all gathered in their bullpen, mentally and verbally preparing themselves for their matches. They were driven by pure rage and cold determination. Nothing would stand in their way of victory. Nothing.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I'm not gonna lie. We were out for blood today. So when our lanistas went out to prepare the animals for the first matches, we hatched our own plan to take the girls down. I gotta say, it was brutal, harsh, and maybe just a little unfair. And I BLEEPING loved it! *PSYCHOTIC SMILE***

Yusuke leaned his head against the fence of their bullpen as he idly watched the lanistas prepare the first lion for its match. He allowed his eyes to drift toward Inuyasha and noticed that the half-demon showed no signs of fear or anxiety. All he saw in those amber gems was ferocity and danger, and he could only nod to himself, pleased with his teammate's enthusiasm. He turned to face the rest of his team then, noticing how many of them decided to use their own personal and familiar garb instead of the provided armor. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Koga, Hiei, Android 17, and Ed all decided to don their own fighting gear as they felt more comfortable, and doing such put them in the mindset to do battle. He heard the horn sound to signify that the first match would begin, and it was as if a switch was turned on. He could feel it. "Alright men," he began lowly, "at my signal...unleash hell."

_**First Category: Bestiarius**_

_Match 1: Lion_

"Ladies and gentlemen," Jonny announced, "I give you the first category of the day, Bestiarius." The crowd cheered ardently as Jonny introduced the first match. "For Match 1 we have a gladiator battling the most feared predator on the African pride! The meanest feline in the animal kingdom! The king of the jungle! A lion!" The crowd stood to their feet once the lion was entered into the fighting ring, pawing at the cage and roaring lowly as it was revealed to the crowd. "By default, the team with the highest score will begin this round which means our first gladiator is...Inuyasha!"

Upon hearing his name announced, Inuyasha wasted no time in entering into the arena. He was slightly shocked that people were actually cheering for him. He figured they were just excited that they would get to see a fight. And he was definitely going to give them a show.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I haven't been in my fire rat robes in a looong time. Just feeling them on my skin again gets my blood pumping just enough to kick some feline ass.**

Inuyasha watched as Jonny scrambled his way out of the ring to a safer location. He studied his opponent and noticed that from its neck hung a bright, orange ribbon of sorts. He assumed that it was the flag that he would need to retrieve in order to win the match. "Hmm."

"Alright, the clock will start the second the animal is released." Jonny instructed from what is usually the sports caster booth. "Will you be requiring any weapons, Inuyasha?" Jonny questioned.

"Nope!" Inuyasha perked with a confident smile.

"Alright! Then let's do this! Gentlemen!" Jonny gestured toward the men as they methodically released the latch on the lion's cage. Getting quickly out of dodge, they watched as the lion slowly stepped out of its cage, its golden, fierce eyes locked onto Inuyasha's location.

Inuyasha's team watched from the bullpen as the large feline simply stared their teammate down from the opposite end of the ring as if to be studying him. "Holy BLEEP that thing is huge." Dearka gulped slightly.

"Eh, he can take him." Koga waved. He knew Inuyasha's abilities well enough, having experienced most of such first hand. And he knew that the silver-haired hanyou would have no difficulty in rising victorious in this battle.

**Koga: Inuyasha (Guys) Are you kidding me? Putting that mangy mutt against a lion was just cruel. I was more worried for the lion. Speaking of which, PETA doesn't watch this do they? Because I have absolutely no intentions of going easy on the bull. **

**MTV Producer: Don't worry. The bulls were donations from **_**McDonald's**_**. Go nuts.**

**Koga: Inuyasha (Guys) o_O WTF**

Inuyasha immediately employed a fighting stance once he witnessed the lion beginning to stalk toward his location. He could easily read its body language and he knew exactly was it was doing. Hunting.

"Uhh, why is this starting to remind me of something I saw on _Animal Planet_?" Kuwabara swallowed.

"Very good observation, Kuwabara." Kurama complimented. "You are correct. The way its moving towards Inuyasha. The position of its tail and head. How its steps are calculated and precise. This lion is hunting him. I must say, job well done one their retrieving wild animals." Kurama absently rubbed his chin.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I can't say that the outlook is good for the ladies. Yukina battling a tiger...I just hope she's able to remain safe. Speaking of safe, I am appalled at how unconcerned Hiei seems for her safety. That is not like him. He must be thoroughly upset with her. *GUILTY PAUSE* Yes, I am well aware that this is at the very least 80 percent my fault. -_-**

"Alright, show me whatcha got." Inuyasha grinned as he cracked his knuckles. He watched as the lion drew nearer and nearer to his location. Inch by inch, he was slowly closing the gap between the two of them. His sensitive ears could pick up on the low guttural sounds of its threatening growls as it slightly bared its fangs and extended its claws.

Not feeling in the least bit afraid, Inuyasha returned with the same gesture, baring his fangs and exposing his claws as the monstrous feline drew closer. It was merely a few feet in front of him once it decided to pounce, stretching its muscular body to aid in grabbing its prey. The movement was quick, but not quick enough as Inuyasha went airborne, grinding his foot into the back of the lion's neck for leverage as he turned his body to face the rear of his furry opponent. "I'm over here!" He shouted teasingly, causing the frustrated lion to quickly pounce toward his form once more, growling out its annoyance at missing its target on the first try. Using his special skills, Inuyasha dodged the attack, only to end up on the rear of the lion for a second time. "Oops! Missed me again! Maybe it's time for the king of the jungle to step down from his throne!" And on his last word, Inuyasha brought down his fist into the lion's cranium, knocking the beast unconscious and retrieving his flag, winning the match for himself and his team.

"Winner: Inuyasha!" Jonny announced, generating a collection of enthusiastic acclamations from the spectators in the stands.

"Alright Inuyasha!" Yusuke cheered along with the rest of team his as Inuyasha was named winner and proceeded back to their bullpen.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) To be honest, I would've been much more satisfied burying my fist in the skull of one of the girls. But I can let other members of my team enjoy that opportunity. *EVIL SMIRK***

"Oh, today is gonna be a good day." Duo smiled.

The girls had been watching the entire match from their bullpen and felt their hearts drop to abysmal levels once they saw how feral and untamed the animal had been with Inuyasha. Flay was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Bra was dangerously close to energy blasting the girl and having her claim injury if not for their benefit, then for the sake of not having to hear her voice.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Ugh. Alright, Flay! We get it. You're scared. Do we have to listen to you whine about it all day? God, get a backbone! **

"Flay listen to me," Faye began as she tried to pep up her teammate, "listen to me, Flay! I need you to calm down, okay?"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?" Flay squealed. "I'm about to engage in armor-free combat with a lion the size of a B-52 bomber and you want me to CALM DOWN? Are you out of your MIND? I have to fight a lion, Faye! A LION! I don't even know what calm MEANS right now!" Flay was so terrified that she was beginning to visibly shake, the metal portions of the spear that she clenched between whitened knuckles clattering and scraping the ground with the involuntary muscle movements.

"Silence is a start." Bra added flatly.

"Bra." Miriallia scolded.

"What? She's getting on my nerves." Bra sighed.

"_Everything_ gets on your nerves. What else is new?" Miriallia shrugged. "How would you feel if you were in her shoes right now?" Miriallia had to think about her question once she saw the look on Bra's face. "Right. Stupid question."

"Look, Flay, I understand that you're afraid." Faye tried to encourage her teammate. "But maybe you could channel that energy of fear and use it to your advantage."

"WHAT?" Flay furrowed her eyebrows in immense confusion.

"BLEEP, I dunno, I heard it in a movie once." Faye abandoned the self-help guru act and just decided to give the girl some genuine advice. Well, advice by _her_ standards, anyway. "Look, just try not to get yourself killed out there. I don't know what to tell you." Faye brushed the other girl off as she plopped herself lazily down on the bullpen bench leaving Flay to stare blankly into the open fighting ring as the lanistas rolled out her opponent.

"I'm going to die." Flay claimed under her breath.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, I hope you're not letting the heat get to you just yet, because we're just getting warmed up in here! Let's hear it for your next gladiator, Flay!" Jonny introduced the shivering girl as she hesitantly made her way into the ring.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod..." Flay whispered nervously under her breath. The heat of afternoon sun seemed to escalate by ten degrees, burning the fine hairs on the back of her neck that were currently standing on end. Goosebumps covered her body from head to toe in spite of the sweltering heat, giving her the unsightly appearance of a nude chicken. Ironic, considering the circumstances. She raised her eyes to view the crowd who appeared to be no more than faceless silhouettes in the glare of the sunlight. She could hear her opponent growling from its cage, the sound reverberating throughout her system causing her to briefly lose her footing as she stumbled to the center of the ring.

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) It wasn't fair. We have Ryoko, Android 18, Bra, Pan, all of these superhuman freaks on our team and they chose **_**me**_** to battle Mufasa? How can they do this? How is this even legal? Don't we have rights?**

**MTV Producer: No. -_-**

**Flay: Gundam SEED (Gals) ;_;**

"Hey guys, look at this!" Dearka chuckled as he pointed toward Flay's cowering form as she awaited the release of her opponent. He felt the presence of his team collecting behind him as they all peered through the fence to get a glimpse of the show from their bullpen.

"Oh you gotta be BLEEPING kidding me!" Spike huffed jovially.

"I'm actually surprised that she's going through with it." Kira scratched his head bemusedly. "I was sure she'd fake sick or make up some elaborate lie as she's known to do when she wants to manipulate her way out of something."

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Or someone else **_**into**_** something. Like risking their lives in a war to protect someone with whom they're in a fabricated relationship. Sound familiar Flay? *PISSED* When it attacks, assume the fetal position. I heard that works. *MUSING PAUSE* Or wait, maybe that's bears. Hmmm. Ah well! *SHRUGS* **

Flay's eyes remained glued upon her four-legged opponent's cage as the handlers skillfully unlatched the lock, the gate making a blood-curdling wail as it slowly lifted to release its captive. She soon found that it was difficult to swallow as her throat became parched with terror, her blue-grey orbs boring into its fiery, chestnut ones as it stood to its feet preparing to join her in the ring. She watched the gate rise past its paws, and upper legs. She could see the bright, orange flag peering shyly through the deep, auburn, mass of tresses that was its mane, swaying in the light breeze upon its boisterous chest and shoulders as the gate rose even higher. As if to have magnified vision, her eyes immediately zoomed in on its muzzle. Through parted lips it panted from the heat, revealing a pink, glistening tongue surrounded by rows upon rows of sharp, glinting, ivory.

And that was all it took. She didn't know if it was the heat, the stress of her impending doom, or a dreadful combination of both, but she found that one lion was soon morphing into two. "I can't...fight two." Flay slurred dazedly, as beads of sweat trailed from her temple to her jawline, dripping in raw segments onto the dry, sand, beneath her sandled feet. Blinking twice to correct her vision, she then had a new challenge arise as her legs began to feel as though they were trapped in wet cement, coupled with her head feeling as though it were an anvil supported by a mere toothpick. Her stomach began to churn, and she idly wished that she had skipped breakfast that morning. Supporting herself with the rod of her spear embedded in the sand, she observed as the lion -or in her current state 'lions'- stalked its way from its cage, headed straight toward her direction. "I...I..." Her verbal skills soon abandoned her, as her body temperature raised slightly. The palms of her hands grew clammy as her complexion became ghostly white.

"Okay," Kagome began, "I'm no doctor, but uhh...she looks like she's going to pass out." She worried her lower lip nervously.

"Nah, she's fine. She's just scared." Cagalli waved dismissively. As if on cue, Flay's legs seemed to lose the ability to hold her weight as they completely gave way, the petrified girl falling unconscious under the mental pressure onto the hot, gritty, sand of the ring.

"You were saying?" Kagome regarded Cagalli blandly. The other girl could say nothing but only stare at the display, mouth gaping with eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) I took that incident as an omen for the entire challenge. We didn't stand a chance after that shameless exhibit of pitiful embarrassment. I'm sure the guys just ate that BLEEP up like candy, too. -_-**

"OH MY BLEEPING GOD!" Trunks and the rest of his team doubled over with laughter as they watched the medics place Flay onto a gurney and escort her out of the ring into the infirmary.

"Did she seriously just faint? Like just totally blacked out?" Yusuke was in an amused state of shock. "It must be my birthday! Kuwabara did you see that BLEEP?"

"Yeah, man. Guess it was too much for her. She totally cracked under the pressure." Kuwabara cocked an eye, watching as the lion's handlers returned it to its cage and removed it from the ring.

"Yeah but, come on man, FAINTING? That's like the proverbial salt to their gaping and oozing wound!" Yusuke chuckled.

"Or in _our_ case," Yzak interjected, "the cherry to our proverbial sundae." Yzak winked.

"Hell yeah!" Yusuke nodded.

"My, I do hope that she is alright. She didn't appear to be at all well." Kurama breathed with a hint of genuine concern in his voice.

"Oh take a pill, Red." Duo sighed. "The girl just fainted. It ain't like she died or nothin.'"

"I understand that, but still..." Kurama trailed.

"Still what? We're the only ones that got points for the first match, man! Damn, can't you ever be happy when we win? It's almost like you get _upset_ when we beat the girls. What the hell, dude?"

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Seriously. When do you remember Kurama actually celebrating with the rest of us when we win a challenge? Don't worry! I'll wait! *IRRITATED***

"It's not that I'm upset when we win, Duo." Kurama calmly explained his case. "It's just that I don't like celebrating the misfortune of others."

"Where the hell have you been, man?" Duo blustered. "That's all this competition is based on! The _misfortune_ of the other team! What game have _you_ been playing? 'Cause we've all been playing _Battle_ of the Sexes! Not _Compromise_ and _Painless Negotiation _of the Sexes."

"He's got a point, Kurama." Yusuke chimed. "You do come off as the least enthused of this team. Even Sesshomaru shows interest in defeating the girls and actually enjoys it when our team wins. It's like it bothers you or something. What's up with that?" Yusuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously into the other's direction as if to be interrogating him visually.

"Yusuke, this is not the time to discuss this. We must prepare for the second match. We will continue this after the challenge, yes?" Kurama dodged, as he cordially removed himself from the conversation.

Yusuke watched as the red-headed kitsune retreated to the bench to slip on his high greaves, completing the others Thracian armor. The Spirit Detective wasn't an idiot. He knew that Kurama was dodging his scrutiny, and he had every intention of reopening the conversation for a later time. At the moment, however, he had bigger fish to fry. "Hmm."

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Kurama's hiding something. If it were anyone else, I'd ignore it because it's probably not worth knowing anyway. But if Kurama is hiding something, you bet your ass that it's definitely worth knowing. And I've got a feeling it has something to do with a little pink-haired, annoyingly bubbly, female opponent we all know and abhor. Call it a hunch. -_-**

_Match 2: Tiger_

"You guys still awake out there?" Jonny's voice sounded over the loud speakers. "I know that last match was quite disappointing, but don't worry, because we're about to make up for it!" He perked once the cheers of the crowd grew louder in anticipation for the next match. "That's right, it's Match 2, and it's still the Bestiarius category which means the next gladiator will be battling a beast of nature!" Jonny paved the way for what he was confident would be a satisfactory battle. "Up next we have Trunks going against the jungle's meanest and toughest contender... the TIGER!"

"Alright Trunks, you're up!" Yusuke encouraged. "Ya good?"

"Please. I eat tiger for breakfast." Trunks boasted.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) It's true. **_**Frosted Flakes **_**is my favorite cereal. *AWKWARD PAUSE* Okay that was lame. Can we cut that from the footage, please?**

**MTV Producer: No.**

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) Okay, you guys are being real dicks today. Just sayin.' **

**MTV Producer: Ain't our fault your jokes suck so bad they wouldn't even make it a on a **_**Laffy Taffy **_**wrapper.**

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) ;_;**

Trunks made his way into the ring, being the first member of his team to fight in the traditional Bestiarius garments. He had been offered a spear or whip to aid him in battle, but declined the offering. After all, he knew they wouldn't be needed. And so he stood centered in the ring, his blue eyes grazing over the crowd as they cheered him on. He could sense their need for action and edge of the seat excitement. Considering the previous battle, he couldn't blame them. So he decided to give them a show. "Toss me a whip." Trunks called to a lanista.

"I thought you said you didn't require a weapon." The lanista questioned.

"And I thought your job was to give me what I asked for _when_ I ask for it." Trunks bit back.

"Right then!" The lanista trotted away to quickly retrieve Trunks' requested item.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Wow. For a second there he sounded **_**exactly**_** like his sister. How incredibly frightening. **

The lanista tossed the whip into the ring as the tiger had already been released and was currently circling and pacing at its end of the ring, its amber eyes never retreating from Trunks' form. Occasionally it would stop and simply stare at the half-Saiyan, whipping its tail slowly from side to side and then continue to pace on its end of the ring. Stopping once more, it kicked its hind legs up, removing dust and sand with the brisk movement. It then released a light mist of urine from its rear, showering a small area of the ring's wall and ground.

The action caused many of the girls to contort their faces in disgust. "Ew." Serena winced.

"What the heck is it doing? I've never seen anything like this before." Pan frowned.

"I do believe that it's marking its territory." Keiko observed.

"Oh wow. These things are wild, huh?" Pan raised her eyebrows.

"Ohhh, yeah." Keiko nodded as she and the others watched Trunks retrieve his whip from the ground, cautiously approaching the beastly predator.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) No **_**wonder**_** Flay fainted. Can **_**you**_** imagine battling a lion armed with nothing but a spear? G'head. Imagine that. *GRABS CAMERA* Hey! Get from under those covers and stop sucking your thumbs ya wimps! It ain't **_**that**_** serious!**

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." Trunks smirked as he held the handle of his bullwhip steady, allowing the thong to drag behind him, leaving a snake-like trail in the sand. As he approached closer, he noticed that the tiger stopped its movements briefly, its eyes locking with his as if to say 'come no closer.' But he refused to back down as he drew nearer to the striped feline's location. His defiance seemed to spark a shred of anger in the animal as it bared its fangs, letting out a throaty warning to 'stay back.' A warning that Trunks ignored, of course.

"Growl all you want. But I reached Super-Saiyan levels and took on an overweight, chocolate loving Kirby knockoff bent on world domination long before my balls even dropped, and I still had power to spare. So as far as I'm concerned, you're just an overgrown furball in a big ass litterbox." Trunks teased gruffly. It was almost as if the feline contender could understand him as he launched for the purple-haired Z-fighter, and Trunks was more than prepared to welcome his attack. "Hey fluffy! Howdya like to play with some YARN!" And on his last word, Trunks cracked his whip at the mouth of his opponent, the piercing sound of its high pitched sonic boom and stinging sensation of the whip throwing the creature off balance as it stumbled to its feet, still growling lowly its frustrations into Trunks' direction. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Okay that's it," Wufei snapped, "one more mediocre feline pun out of his mouth, and I will _hang_ him with that whip."

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) This is _not_ a B-grade 80s action movie, and he is _not _Chuck Norris.**

**MTV Producer: Norris didn't make any B-grade action movies you moron.**

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) You people are annoyingly verbal today.**

**MTV Producer: Just reminding you that we exist.**

The tiger was far from done with Trunks as it rose to its feet once more, a small trickle of crimson dripping from its mouth where the whip had made contact. This action caused the girls to squirm in their armor, stronger feelings of uneasiness welling up within their cores.

"He drew blood. Did you see that? He drew _blood_!" Winry panicked. "Did you see that?"

"Yes, Winry. We all saw it." Android 18 responded flatly.

"Is that even _allowed_? I mean on _us_?" Winry's breathing became slightly labored at the thought.

"Unfortunately, yes. Serious injury starts at life-threatening according to the rules." Android 18 explained.

Botan was also not liking the looks of this. "Well that's rather vague. Did they give an example of what they mean by 'life-threatening?'"

"Yeah, like being impaled, or burned, or decapitated. Well I guess that's more like life-_ending_ but whatever. Semantics, ya know." Android 18 dryly relayed the information to her team as she absently picked her nails. The only person she truly felt would be a challenge for her was Trunks, and he was currently going head to head with mother nature. So it was all good. For her at least.

"Okay I can't breathe." Winry collapsed to the ground as her widened eyes focused on the hot ground below.

"Uh-oh!" Faye hopped to action. "Soldier down! Fan her! Botan go get her some water and a paper bag! Winry snap out of it, please! We can't lose you, too!" Faye tried to shake to girl back to her good senses, to no avail. The blond mechanic continued to hyperventilate in the bullpen, her lips becoming dry and white as she broke into a cold sweat.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) Currently, the over active minds of my teammates have been our most formidable opponent. And upon admitting such outloud, I just died a little on the inside. **

Trunks continued to crack his whip at the feet of his opponent, causing the beast to hestitantly pursue his position as it snapped and pawed at the invasion of the whip into its space. He could see the bright, orange flag dangling from its neck and soon got an idea. Using his strength, he launched himself backwards toward the opposite end of the ring, extending the gap between himself and the animal. He watched as the creature seemed to contemplate whether to engage him in the chase that he was trying to stir as it paced forward and backward, roaring its threats from afar.

"Come on, come on." Trunks whispered. He looked up at the clock and noticed that six minutes and fifty-two seconds had passed, meaning he had less than four minutes before DQ. "Oh BLEEP!" He had been so focused on putting on a show for the crowd, that he had completely forgotten that this was a timed challenge. "BLEEP! I could've incapacitated this thing, grabbed the flag and been done with it ages ago! Stupid!" Trunks was frustrated with his little showboat act. He knew that the point of this challenge was to shame the girls anyway, not please the crowd. The tiger still refused to charge and seven minutes and thirty-two seconds was now on the clock. "Ugh! BLEEP the crowd!" And with that, Trunks took to the air, flashing down the arena with bullet speed as he used his whip like a rope, tying up the legs of his opponent, allowing him to easily retrieve the flag from its collar. And the crowd went wild.

"Winner: Trunks!" Jonny announced, earning louder screams and cheers from the thousands of spectators.

"That's how you do that BLEEP, man!" Spike celebrated with his teammates. That was two wins in a row for them. And everything was falling into place.

"OO-RAH!" The boys all chanted their signature cheer as Trunks returned to their bullpen, their second flag of the day in tow.

"That was awesome, man. You were immaculate!" Dearka praised.

"Why thank you my very blond and tanned friend." Trunks mock bowed as he took seating on the bench. He was officially done for the day, and would now act as moral support for the rest of his team who had yet to do battle.

"So, who's up next for the chicks?" Dearka questioned looking around for the match map.

"Yukina." Heero stated simply. There was an uncomfortable silence as all eyes drifted toward Hiei, who was calmly watching the battles from his own spot on the bench.

The small Fire Demon suddenly felt several eyes on him, causing him to crane his body slightly forward, only to be met with the questioning and wary stares of his teammates. He found their actions to be annoying and truly couldn't understand their purpose, causing him to furrow his eyebrows. "What?"

* * *

Many of the girls had been trying to raise Yukina's confidence the entire time that Trunks was engaged in battle. The blue-haired Ice Maiden found it difficult to grasp the concept of hand to hand combat, let alone hand to hand combat with a wild animal that she had never truly seen up close before.

"So I am to use this object to do what exactly?" Yukina regarded her spear with a gleam of uncertainty and innocence in her ruby, red, eyes.

"Poke it." Hilde instructed, for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

"But, won't that hurt it?" Yukina brought her hand to her chin, idly nibbling on her thumbnail.

"Yes, Yukina! That is the point!" Hilde tried to maintain her patience with the Ice Maiden, but found that concept becoming more and more difficult with each passing minute.

"But, why would I want to hurt a defenseless animal?" Yukina was trying to understand.

"Because it wants to hurt _you_!" Hilde's patience was definitely waning.

"Why?" Yukina cocked her head to the side looking much like a confused puppy.

Hilde gritted her teeth and balled her fists to her sides as she proceeded with her seemingly eternal explanation. "Because it's not a defenseless animal, it's a predator!"

"A predator? You mean like a hunter?" Yukina was slowly beginning to comprehend.

"Yes! Yukina, yes. Like a hunter." Hilde released an exasperated sigh.

"Well if it's a hunter, why do humans like to keep replicas of hunters as decoratives in their homes?" Yukina mused.

"What the...? What? Yukina, what are you talking about, sweetie?" Now it was Hilde's turn to be confused.

"I once attended an outing with Keiko, Botan, and Kazuma's sister Shizuru. I believe they called it a carnival." Yukina began.

"Now she's talking about carnivals. Unbelievable. " Hilde griped under her breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose to soothe the developing headache.

"There was a game with large balls and containers and one of the prospective gifts, if one were to win, was a very adorable replica of the very creature that you're claiming is predatory and will do me harm in this challenge." Yukina was once again confused.

"Okay, look, Yukina! Focus! We're_ here_." Hilde held up two fingers and repeatedly pointed them between herself and Yukina as an attempt to redirect the others focus to her upcoming battle. "Stay with me. Forget about the carnival or whatever other tangent you can think to go off on right now. Just be _here_. And for the love of god and all things sacred try not to let that thing touch you. Just get it off its feet somehow, grab the flag, and run like hell. Ya got that?" Hilde tried to be as clear as possible for her less informed and acclimated teammate.

"I understand." Yukina smiled as she headed for the ring.

"Okay." Hilde let out an awkward chuckle. "She doesn't understand." She admitted with a wry smile to Sango who was standing by witnessing the entire exchange.

"Why do you say that?" Sango queried.

"Because if she did, she wouldn't be smiling." Hilde shook her head.

"Oh. Good point." Sango could only shake her head as she watched her teammate enter the ring, waving innocently at the crowd that cheered her on.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) Something tells me that Yukina has never set foot in a battle in her life. It was no doubting that what we were going to see was going to be quite painful to watch.**

Hiei had been getting badgered by his teammates for his lack of concern for Yukina's safety. It was so uncharacteristic of him. After all, he couldn't possibly be _that_ pissed with her that he'd just throw her to the lions. Or in this case, tiger.

"Come on, Hiei. We all know you're worried about her. It's cool, you don't have to hide it." Yusuke ensured. "I swear, the guy's so loyal, he won't even show his emotions if it means breaking morale and jeopardizing the strength of the team." Yusuke complimented, generating several agreeable nods from the others.

"No, you fool." Hiei began curtly. "I'm not displaying concern for her well being because I already know that she will emerge from this battle unscathed." And with that, Hiei did as he usually did when he wanted to signify that a conversation was over; he distanced himself from the others and grounded himself in the locker room/cage until it was his time to fight.

"Wait," Kuwabara scratched his head, "does he mean that she's gonna win?" The orange-haired boy cocked an eye.

Kurama could only watch the conversation from his place on the bench. He knew that Hiei would be adamant about having Yukina removed from the challenge if he were concerned for her honor or safety, much like he threatened bodily harm to Jonny during the _Strip Jeopardy_ challenge. Trivial bickering aside, Hiei was indeed very loyal, specifically to family. Yes, blood was thicker than water, as Hiei valued family over all else. So it was no doubting that he definitely knew something that the others did not. "Hmm."

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Now it appears that Hiei is the one among us who is hiding something.**

There she stood, center ring, as her clawed and fanged opponent was released from its metal confines. The Ice Maiden, while ignorant to many creatures of the Human World, was no fool. Her demonic senses activated as she immediately picked up on the presence of danger. It was then that her demeanor seemed to change. The softness in her ruby orbs seemed to fade as her irises took on a deep, threatening, crimson glow. She saw the tiger pacing back forth on its end of the ring, and she decided to follow suite on her end, never allowing its form to leave her sight. Their eyes remained cemented within the one another's. She then gingerly placed her spear to the ground as a moderate breeze picked up in the arena, grasping dust and sand within its feathery embrace. She listened as the beast let out low, guttural, grunts and scratched at the ground with its exposed claws. The hunch in its back and low tail signaling that it was not friendly, nor there to play. It wanted to harm her, she could sense it. It was then that her expression seemed almost dangerous, surprising most of the competitors.

"Umm...I'm scared." Keiko swallowed as she witnessed the battle from the bullpen.

"Her energy..." Botan trailed as she closed her eyes.

"I feel it." Ryoko chimed as she absently moved closer to the fence that separated them from the ring, watching her teammate intently.

"As do I." Aeka nodded. She was not expecting such a heavy feeling from such a small, and mousey, member of their team.

"Botan?" Keiko questioned the deity. She was unsure of what exactly was happening.

"What are you people talking about?" Cagalli demanded. "What do you feel? I don't get it? This is beyond my scope of understanding."

"It's hard to explain," Kagome began, "it's like waves of energy and power that she's giving off and..."

"...And it is _not_ to be BLEEPED with." Ryoko finished with wide eyes.

Suddenly the wind picked up even more inside the arena, the temperature dropping at an alarming rate, considering the season. The occurence caused a wave of silence to plague the arena as the spectators watched, awestruck, and in disbelief. Yukina narrowed her eyes dangerously into the location of the beast before her, glaring death into its amber gaze. More wind filled the arena, dust clouds soon turning cotton white as an unidentified substance minced with the grains of sand.

"Is it BLEEPING snowing?" A random spectator in the stands shouted as the temperature dropped even lower, causing everyone to shiver involuntarily from the icy invasion.

"The hell...?" Faye watched in awe as a cloud of snow and ice literally encircled Yukina as the Ice Maiden slowly approached her wild opponent who, sensing that its life was in danger, cowered in the corner, reduced to low growls and nips at stray particles of ice. Her crimson eyes were wide and threatening as they glowed ferociously in the direction of the beast that she now knew was a danger.

"Botan! I thought Ice Maidens only had_ passive_ powers!" Keiko shouted over the crying sounds of wind that danced throughout the arena.

"Define '_passive_!'" Botan replied as she shielded her eyes from the dust and ice.

"Ugh!"

Stopping a few feet in front of the tiger, Yukina raised her hands before her, stretching them into the direction of her target. Just then, all of the cold air and ice that was present within the arena gathered into her palms only to come shooting back out full force onto its wild and beastly target. There was a quiet calm as the temperature returned to normal and the dust cleared the ring only to reveal...

"BLEEP!" Yusuke bellowed.

"Oh my g...do you guys see that BLEEP?" Duo pointed toward the ring.

"Remarkable." Miroku breathed in shock.

"She just..." Android 17 couldn't find the words.

"Completely just..." Athrun's jaw was through the floor.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) If I thought I was glad to be fighting Blue before. O_O**

"That. Was. BLEEPING. Epic." Bra exclaimed as she and the others allowed their brains to process what their eyes had just seen. There it was, the tiger that was once Yukina's opponent, completely encased in a thick sheet of ice. To add excellence to awesomeness, she caught the creature in mid-pounce and created quite a piece of art in the midst of her attack.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) EPIC! ^_^**

"Ladies and gentlemen what we've just seen is indeed something for the record books. Unfortunately, it resulted in the destruction of the beacon or flag, and as such, Yukina has been disqualified." Jonny somberly announced.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) FAIL! ;_;**

"WHAT?" The girls team sounded in unison at Jonny's announcement.

"Sorry ladies. But the rules specifically say that an intact flag must be retrieved. She just destroyed it." Jonny affirmed.

"No she didn't!" Keiko tried to clean up the situation. "Yukina can't you like melt the ice and get the flag out? You manipulate ice right? Or do you just create it?" Keiko said the last portion of her sentence warily. She felt her heart sink once she saw Yukina shake her head soddenly.

"This technique is specifically used when one wishes for their opponent to be...permanently defeated. The ice is indestructable. Even by myself." Yukina explained.

"What the hell kind of technique is that?" Hilde shrieked.

"I honestly think that she just made it up, just now." Sango added blandly.

"So that's it?" Hilde regarded Jonny who could only nod his answer from his booth on the vid screen.

"Oh that's bullBLEEP!" Hilde grumbled.

"Sorry, it's the rules. Good show though Yukina. Really didn't see it coming." Jonny complimented the Ice Maiden.

"BLEEPING rules." Hilde sulked as she plopped angrily down on the bench.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) **_**Now**_** I get why Hiei wasn't demanding Yukina be removed from the challenge for her safety. He knew that when she felt threatened she'd resort to using that technique. A technique that would ultimately get her DQ'ed. So in a way he actually **_**did**_** screw her and the girls team. Well played there little buddy! You just BLEEPEDED on 'em. **

_**...Put your number twos in the air if you did it on 'em...**_

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I was to understand that this was a war. I was to also understand that all is fair. Yukina is a liability to my team. Getting her disqualified guarantees that she will be sent home due to the fact that she already held the lowest score on her team. It also guarantees that she will be safe and away from the competition. There. I win twice. *EVIL SMIRK***

**MTV Producer: Dude. You are heartless and self-serving. *PONDERING* Wanna work for MTV?**

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) *PROCEEDS TO REMOVE BANDANA***

**MTV Producer: *BACKPADDLING* It's cool. You got other stuff goin' on. Maybe next time. *HIEI'S SKIN FLASHES GREEN* No? K, I'll shut-up now.**

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Good. Because your silence is long overdue.**

_**...And we ain't makin' up, I don't need a mediator. Just let them bums blow steam. Radiator! (That was a earthquake bitch!)**_

"That was like some mafia BLEEP that Hiei pulled with Yukina there." Duo chuckled.

"I know. He did everything but kill her horse and leave its head in her bed." Yzak nodded. "I suddenly like him now." The silver-haired Coordinator mused.

"How can you _not_ like Hiei up until now, Yzak?" Dearka interjected. "He's like the most awesome guy on our team."

"I dunno, I guess I just never really paid attention to him." Yzak scratched his chin.

Athrun could only release a hearty chuckle at Hiei's backstabbing and defiance being the action that perked Yzak's interest. "Well he's got your attention now, doesn't he?"

"Oh yeah." Yzak nodded with a devious smirk.

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) The guy screwed over his sister and didn't even lift a finger. That is the very essence of badass. I may have to explore him further. *WICKED THOUGHTS A' BREWIN'***

_Match 3: Bear_

"Ladies and Gents I know you're all still recovering from that very bizarre display in the last match, but if you're put off by bizarre then you're at the wrong event! These folks here thrive on bizarre!" Jonny's voice blared over the loud speakers as the beginning of the third match began in the Bestiarius category. He listened as the cheering from the crowd increased indicating that they were itching for more. Apparently bizarre was exactly how they liked it. Jonny wagered that a grand majority of them were probably drunk and would likely forget 90 percent of the challenge anyway. "Alright, next match has one of our gladiators going against a camper's worst nightmare. The vicious and ruthless Kodiak Alaskan Grizzly! First opponent...Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru had been mostly silent for the first two matches. He instead chose to sit quietly to himself until it was his turn to do battle. No one felt it necessary to question him on his behavior as everyone just knew that it was Sesshomaru being Sesshomaru.

"Uhh...good luck, man." Kuwabara encouraged as the demon lord passed him in his usual aristocratic garments. He didn't even spare his orange-haired teammate a glance as he ventured toward the fighting ring. The look in his amber eyes completely cold and unreadable...per usual.

"Inuyasha." Ed called to the hanyou.

"Yeah, what?" Inuyasha responded in an annoyed tone. For no good reason.

"Nothing, just thought I'd tell you that...your brother's extremely boring. Like clinically boring. Like the FDA should approve and market a drug specifically to cure and regulate his level of boringness. Like-"

"ALRIGHT! I get it! He's cardboard! Any reason you think I should care about that very well-known fact?" Inuyasha huffed.

"Well he's family so, I dunno...I figured you'd maybe wanna take him to a specialist or something. It's weird. It's just weird. He's weird." And with that Ed could only shake his head and raise his hands as he sat down to clean his automail, prepping it for battle.

"Whatever. He ain't my responsibility. Guy's got his own thing going on." Inuyasha dismissed as he and his teammates watched Sesshomaru's battle from the designated rest area.

Sesshomaru watched as the bear was released from its cage, the large creature not wasting time as it charged right for him. "Well then. I appreciate your enthusiasm." And before the grizzly could take two more steps, he released his demonic whip, striking the beast across its neck, subsequently decapitating it.

"Oh my GOD!" Serena yelped.

"My goodness!" Lacus gasped. "Was that truly necessary?" She shielded her eyes from the sight of the bear's bloodied, severed head rolling onto the ground at Sesshomaru's feet.

"Honestly!" Faye griped.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) What the hell is **_**wrong**_** with that guy?**

"Wait, no he killed it! Shouldn't he DQ like Yukina did?" Keiko tried to play devil's advocate.

"Actually no. The flag is still in tact. The retrieval of an in tact flag is the goal of this challenge. And thus far, Sesshomaru has done that in the quickest time. So good job Sesshomaru." Jonny explained from his booth.

"Ugh! You're _kidding_ me!" Keiko growled.

Yusuke could do nothing but laugh at Keiko's failed attempt to screw them out of 2000 points. "Sorry schnookums!" Yusuke teased with a blow kiss.

"Oh bite me, Yusuke." Keiko spat as she found seating on the bench.

"Hey maybe you guys should actually try _winning_ some matches, so you don't have to worry about various ways to make us lose our well-earned points!" Android 17 shot back.

"I'm sorry, was anyone talking to him?" Keiko added sarcastically, not bothering to look at Android 17. "I wasn't talking to him? Blue were you talking to him? Because I wasn't talking to him." Keiko regarded the female wolf-hybrid to her right.

"Hell no." She huffed bitterly. Their sarcastic exchange generated a bunch of middle fingers from the boys' team, many from the girls' team returning with double the same response.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, that was quick and...I dunno about painless, but at least it was quick! Next up we have for the girls team, also battling a bear...Cheza! Damn, she's _still_ here? Oops, this thing still on?" Jonny's awkward announcement resonated throughout the arena as the girls turned to face the mostly silent Flower Maiden.

"Cheza?" Blue gained the attention of the Flower Maiden, the trembling of her voice revealing her concern.

"Do not worry, Blue." Cheza reassured as she gently caressed the top of Blue's head. "This One knows what to do now. Don't be scared for This One."

"No actually, I was more concerned with your sight problem?" Blue raised as if to be asking a question.

"This One does not understand." Cheza was confused.

"Yeeeah. See that's what I was worried about. Okay. The bear has a flag around its neck. You _have_ to get that flag. Thing is, you _really_ can't afford to be blind...err...sorry...umm..._aimlessly_...pawing around up there. I mean, you gotta know where you're going, hit your target and haul your ass outta there, ya know?" Blue scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"You are afraid that This One will fail." Cheza was catching on.

"Well yeah, that's the short version." Blue half-chuckled.

"Do not be afraid. This One will not fail. Watch This One." Cheza nodded with a soft smile as she walked toward the center of the ring.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) I really hoped not, because we hadn't won one match yet, and I **_**severely**_** didn't want the earning of points for our category to rest solely on my shoulders, considering who I was up against.**

Hilde watched as the Flower Maiden practically floated her way to the center of the ring. It was obvious that she was feeling her way around with a sixth sense of some sort being that her eyesight was denied of her. This made Hilde and many of the others wonder exactly how she was going to subdue a bear, and retrieve a flag in under ten minutes. "How the hell is she gonna..."

"I have _no_ idea, Hilde. _None_." Blue sighed and shook her head as she watched the Flower Maiden turn around so that her back was towards the bear who was currently being released from its cage.

"Bears are special creatures to the earth. To the forest." Cheza began gently. "The flowers watch over you as well." She could hear the creature growling as it made its entrance into the ring. It let out short, choppy grunts and roars as it stood up on its hind legs pawing into Cheza's direction. "So much pain. I hear it. You were taken from your mother and forced to fight for survival. All you've known is fighting. Never love."

"The hell is she rambling about?" Faye rolled her eyes.

Android 18 could only shake her head. "I dunno, but I swear when she talks she reminds me of this one roommate I had in college."

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) She had a serious problem with...plants. Very special...plants. -_-**

"You want the pain to stop. This One will make the pain stop." Suddenly the Flower Maiden began to hum a quiet melody specifically for the bear. Soonafter, everyone witnessed as the creature dropped into a sitting position, the expression on its face groggy and restless. It made attempts to paw at the air, only to topple over on its side into a deep and peaceful, slumber.

"Alright, Cheza!" Blue cheered for the Flower Maiden. She and her team were beyond excited at the fact that they were going to finally win points for this category. "Okay, now just get the flag and we're bank!"

"Oh yes. This One will now retrieve the flag." Cheza stated as she stumbled forward to proceed with the task.

"Oh, n-no Ch-Cheza! It's...t-turn turn around sweetie! Yeah, the other way, the other way! Y-yeah, now j-just keep, keep going straight!" Blue and a few other members of the girls team attempted to guide the blind Flower Maiden toward the sleeping bear so that she could retrieve the flag and win the match for their team. The task sounded easier in their heads, however.

"N-no, you're going too far to the right, hon!" Faye shouted. "N-n-no your _other _right sweetie. N-no you're going _right_ go the _other_ way! Aw BLEEP! CHEZA! STOP walking!" Faye was getting frustrated.

"R-right, j-just, just stand still for a minute while we figure this out." Cagalli added nervously as she clasped her hands in front of her chin heaving out a sigh. This was turning out to be harder than she thought. "Guys, how are we gonna tell her where to go?"

Hilde had the perfect idea which would of course be agreed upon but not adhered to when it came time to actually use it. "You know what, I think just _one_ person should guide her, okay? She's got _too_ many voices telling her to go this way and that way and it's just...it's confusing her! We're confusing her! So j-just _one_ person tell her where to go. We'll get this done a _lot_ quicker if everyone else just shuts-up. Seriously."

"I agree." Kagome nodded. "We can't have one person telling her to go left, and another telling her to go right this'll take us _forever_."

Miriallia was in agreement as well. "Right, and speaking of which we've got five minutes on the clock and counting. So we gotta jam. She's waaaaay down on the other side of the freaking arena!"

"Right, right, right. Blue'll do it, then!" Faye decided. "She knows her voice, she's more familiar just Blue-"

"Okay, okay, I got it, I got it, just, just let me do it, okay? We're wasting time!" Blue anxiously accepted the task as she called to the Flower Maiden. "Cheza? Sweetie? I need you to listen to me _very_ carefully, okay? We gotta do this fast, hon. We now have four minutes!"

"Is This One allowed to move yet?" Cheza sweetly questioned in an innocent tone.

"Yeah, you can move. I just need you to _only _move _exactly_ when I tell you to, okay? Do you understand?" Blue tried to don her most patient and friendly tone so as not to startle the Flower Maiden or throw her off in any way.

"This One understands." Cheza affirmed with a smile and a nod.

"Okay now, I just need you to turn around, 90 degrees, to _your_ left!" Blue turned her hands into a megaphone so as to project her voice toward Cheza's location.

"90 degrees." Cheza repeated. "This One does not understand." Her declaration caused everyone on the boys team to suck their teeth, raise their hands above their heads and release a chorus of heavy, exasperated sighs.

"Okay, okay," Blue sighed quietly to herself, "she doesn't know measurements. Of course."

"Tell her to lift her left arm to her side and then like turn her body toward her left arm until she feels that it's like in front of her." Bra interjected.

"Shhh! _I'm_ doing this! Okay? I'm trying to think, and you're confusing me!" Blue shushed the half-Saiyan princess.

"Well while your slow ass is standing there trying to think, we're losing time, damn it! We now have _three minutes _to do this BLEEP and she is _nowhere_ _near_ the BLEEPING target, Blue!" Bra growled.

"I know, I know, I know. Just, give me a minute! I need to think! BLEEP!" Blue was becoming flustered.

"Ugh! _Simple_ ass!" Bra couldn't take it anymore. Blue was asking for minutes that they couldn't afford to sacrifice, and they had a blind girl to guide to a flag about 300 feet away. "CHEZA! It's Bra! Look! Lift your left arm to your side! Yeah, right now, do that! Right now! Hurry please!" Bra watched as the Flower Maiden did as instructed, carelessly pushing Blue off to the side who was making protest that she was the one that would tell Cheza where to go. "Okay now slowly turn your body toward your_ left _arm, yeah that's the one you're holding up right now..."

Pan could only roll her eyes at Bra's condescending tone. "Bra, the girl's blind. She's not retarded."

"Well BLEEP I dunno! She doesn't know 90 degrees! Okay good Cheza, now I need you to turn until your body is...or until you can feel that your left arm is in _front_ of you! No, no, no don't move your arm! Don't move your arm! Just...keep it still. Moving it defeats the purpose of this_ entire _thing! Yeah, yeah, _just_ like that!" Bra had managed to at least get the Flower Maiden to face the direction of the slumbering bear. At this point all she had to do was just tell the other girl to walk foward. "Now just walk, hon! Just...yeah, just _keep _walking!"

"Ohmygod we have one minute!" Kagome panicked as one minute quickly became fifty nine seconds and soon fifty eight, and fifty seven. And as the seconds rolled by, it seemed as though Cheza was veering off course to the right. Again.

"What the BLEEP!" Bra was getting extremely frustrated. "What are you doing? Just walk _straight_!" Bra was beginning to get angry as she mumbled under her breath. "My god how do they deal with he...how the hell do you _deal _with her? Didn't you say you like travel with her and BLEEP?" Bra regarded Blue.

"Kiba usually acts as her guide dog." Blue explained shyly, becoming extra nervous as she watched the clock hit forty seconds. "Oh my god, Bra she's all the way by the BLEEPING concession stand." Blue waved her arm toward Cheza's location with a nervous and hopeless laugh.

"Oh BLEEPING hell! CHEZA! Just stop! Just...STOP walking!" Bra released a sigh as the Flower Maiden strayed off course once again, this time expanding the gap between her and the bear to the same distance that it was before. "I don't believe this! This is like a _joke_!"

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I swear. All we needed was popcorn and a bag of **_**Sour Patch Kids**_**.** **They don't make comedy this good anymore! *LOL***

Twenty seconds was now on the clock and Bra could only shake her head from side to side as she watched Cheza blindly pawing around in search of the bear and the flag. Raising her eyes to the heavens, she idly wondered if they were being punished in some cruel and unusual way. "Damn it. She can't fly or _anything_?"

Blue could only shrug. "She can fall in a rather elegant and graceful way. Kinda like wind dancing."

"I didn't ask..." Bra was cut off as Jonny began the countdown. She sucked her teeth in annoyance. "BLEEP!" She waved her hands as if to say 'BLEEP it' as she plopped down on the bench, the sound of the horn signifying that Cheza had DQ'ed, thus forfeiting more points for their team.

"I'll. Be. Damned." Faye sighed as she leaned against the wall. The outdoor temperature had risen since their arrival to a scorching 92 degrees. It was far too hot for all of this nonsense. "I'll. Be. _Damned_."

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) She was **_**right **__**there**_**! All she had to do was walk **_**straight**_**! Why the hell was she by the BLEEPING concession stand? How the BLEEP...? I am **_**mortified**_** right now! **_**Mortified**_** and **_**disgusted**_**! Ugh!**

"Well that was certainly entertaining, wasn't it ladies and gentlemen?" Jonny shouted over the loud speaker, earning an arena full of laughs from the Cheza, Bra, and Blue Comedy Hour.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I'm done. That was it. I actually tried to be helpful for once, and it bit me in the ass and gave me a staph infection! They wanted me to make chocolate cake and gave me BLEEP to work with. I'm done.**

_Match 4: Bull_

"Usually traditional Ancient Roman Gladiatorial events would include a dramatization of sorts based on ancient myths and writings." Jonny's voice echoed throughout the arena. "I'm guessing those girls drew their inspiration from the ancient tales of Larry, Moe, and Curly." His comment caused more laughter to reverberate within the arena, much to the chagrin of the girls team. "Alright, let's get back to the action shall we? It's time for Match 4 which involves the terror of the Spaniards. Get ready to watch these next gladiators dance the Paso Doble with none other than the Buuulll!" Jonny announced as the crowd cheered their excitement. "First up we have for the boys team...Koga!"

"Let's go!" Koga clapped his hands together looking much like a boxer preparing to enter the ring in his usual Wolf demon garb. He felt much more comfortable in his skins and pelts. It gave him that wild edge and drive that he needed to succeed in battle. He decided to abandon the top pelt due to the heat and just go in with tanned, muscles exposed wild and topless. And also, he really dug the look.

**Koga: Inuyasha (Guys) Yeah. You know I look good. *WINK***

"Go get 'em wolf boy!" Miroku encouraged as he leaned against the bullpen fence to get a better view of the fight.

Koga watched as the Bull bucked and kicked, in attempts to break free from its cage. Apparently, he had himself a fiesty one. "That's what I'm talking about. Let's give 'em something to watch!"

The handlers scurried to get out of the way once the gate was released, the bull wasting no time to take advantage of its freedom as it bucked and kicked on the sand for a spell. Gathering its bearings, it eventually realized that it was not alone in the ring. And that's when it set its sights on Koga.

"Boo." Koga teased with a cocky smirk.

The bull bobbed its head up and down, scraping its hooves on the ground as the hump in its neck and back region grew larger and firmer.

Yusuke and the others watched the battle from their spot, studying the movements of the bull as it huffed and grunted, the hump in its back growing even more pronounced. "Yep, he's getting ready to charge." Yusuke observed, earning affirming nods from the rest of his team. Not shortly after, did the bull do exactly as predicted. Its hooves thundering across the ring floor, kicking up dust with its movement as it headed straight for Koga's direction. "There he goes."

With jewel-shard induced speed, Koga spun so that he was to the side of the horned beast. Grabbing hold of one of the hardened protrusions, he caught the animal off balance, interrupting its equilibrium as it fell on its side to the ground. He could see the hook for the flag that was attached to the collar that it was wearing, as he wrapped his legs firmly and strongly around its neck, disconnecting the flag and winning the match for himself and his team.

"Winner: Koga!" Jonny blared, causing the crowd to cheer victory. They became even more excited once they noticed that Koga had managed to get the bull in a sleeper hold, putting the beast into a deep slumber, its tongue hanging out to confirm its unconscious state.

The girls could not believe their eyes. The way that Koga had taken down that bull. It was...just special.

"Wow." Kagome's eyes were wide and she found that she couldn't tear them from Koga as he retreated to his bullpen, pouring a bottle of ice water over his face and chest. The chill from the cool invasion causing his toned muscles to quiver on contact. "W-wow." Kagome was still shamelessly staring. And again she wasn't alone.

"Kagome," Sango began as she too stared down the Wolf Prince, "Inuyasha is watching you."

"And Miroku is watching _youuu_." Kagome teased with a hint of a smile in her voice.

"Yeah?" Ryoko interrupted as she rested her elbows on both of their shoulders. "Well nobody's watching me, which means I get to look aaaalll I want." She finished with a bright grin.

"Ryoko, you have no shame." Aeka scolded.

"Oh really princess? You might wanna get a hanky to wipe that drool from your chin before you say anything else." Ryoko teased, causing the purple-haired princess to turn several shades of red.

"Ryoko, you wretched...ugh!" Covering her face with her hands, Aeka decided it best to wash her embarrassment away with about a gallon of water.

"Hmm," Faye began, "I think I just got an interesting idea."

"NO FAYE!" The girls chorused in protest.

"What?"

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) It worked before didn't it?**

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I could pick up on the girlies conversation across the way. And if they were thinking about what I think they were thinking about, they may as well have given it up and thought up another strategy of debilitation. At least 75 percent of our team had jerked off twice that morning to prepare for such a low and cheap game plan from them. Come on. You're better than that ladies. At least three of you are better than that. *ROLLS EYES***

"Alright, that was awesome! Bull in a sleeper hold! I swear these guys never cease to amaze me! Next up we have, Keikoooo!" Jonny introduced the brown haired girl who meekly entered into the ring.

"Gonna fight a bull, gonna fight a bull, gonna fight a bull. I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared." Keiko recited her little mantra to herself with obsessive repetition as she watched the bull handlers prepare to release the cage of her opponent. She noticed that her bull wasn't nearly as hyper and full of energy as Koga's which she supposed was a good sign.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I don't think I have the words to describe the insurmountable levels of fear that I had experienced. Have you ever heard of the phenomenon of being drunk on one's emotions? It's where the brain will literally overdose on different hormones like dopamine, serotonin, oxcytocin, and norepinephrine due to certain external stimuli, like drugs. Well your brain can do this on its own without the stimulation of synthetic drugs. It will actually overdose on a specific hormone depending on the severity of the outside stressor or stimuli. At that moment, my outside stimuli was a bull staring me down, huffing, puffing, scraping his hooves on the floor and bucking his head up and down in a very threatening manner. The stressor or emotion that I experienced in abundance was fear. And so the chemicals that usually release to ease the stress of an external stimuli actually overdosed me. Specifically on adrenaline. And that was your psychology lesson for the day kids. And my explanation for why I did, what I did.**

It was the strangest feeling that overcame her, she couldn't describe it. She couldn't think. All she knew was that she had to survive by any means necessary. She didn't care about the competition. She didn't care about points, money or even the opposing team. As far as she was concerned, she had one opponent in the world, and it was currently bobbing its head up and down, and growing a hump on its back the size of Mount Everest. It was enraged. She was on its territory. And it wanted her gone. She _had_ to survive. "I have to survive." Keiko stated dazily to herself. Suddenly, it was as if a second wind took over, and the rest of the world faded away. All she could see was the bull as she grabbed the whip that was her weapon of choice and ran top speed towards its location.

The bull stood still for a moment, almost as if to be taken aback by her ardency and valiance. But the moment was brief as it too took off into a run charging for her small frame at top speed and full force.

"SWEET JESUS!" Hilde shrieked. "I can _not_ watch this!" Hilde covered her eyes along with several others from her team. In their eyes, Keiko had gone temporarily insane. A little 90 pound girl was charging a 2000 pound bull. It was illogical. Illogical suicide.

"Keiko what the hell?" Faye screamed as the small girl let out a battle cry, her form drawing closer to that of the bull.

"Ohmygod!" Serena squealed as the two were at least a foot apart when Keiko quickly faked to the left holding up her whip and wrapping it around the bull's neck, using the makeshift reigns as leverage to mount the back of the raging beast.

"HOLY BLEEP she's on its back!" Yusuke bellowed.

"Dude, your girlfriend's crazy!" Duo placed his hands on his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The bull bucked and kicked as it tried desperately to throw off its new and unwanted passenger. Keiko could feel her bottom rising and forcefully falling down on the back of the animal. Nature would tell her to cower in pain from the contact, but adrenaline told her to tighten her grip and reach for her bright, orange target. There was fire in her eyes when she saw it, flapping in the wind, beckoning her to claim what was rightfully hers. And damn it she was going to have it. "Yippie-ki-yay mother BLEEPER!" Keiko shouted uncharacteristically as she unhooked the flag from the bull's collar. Winning the match for herself and her team. The first one of the day.

"BLEEP yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Faye cheered as she and her teammates jumped up and down at Keiko's wild victory. The bull had finally managed to throw her off of its back, her small body landing with a thud that should have incapacitated her but the girl seemed to be made of rubber as her self-preservation instincts kicked in immediately. She quickly managed to roll away from the still bucking and kicking bull, nearly missing a hoof to her hip and shoulder. Running to the sidelines, she didn't even notice when the professional bull wranglers came in and placed the bull back into its cage.

Flag in hand and covered with more than just sweat, Keiko couldn't find the words and only raised up her occupied hand as if to say 'we finally got it.'

"Keiko that was WAY intense!" Serena praised.

"I know!" Hilde added. "When I saw you charging towards the bull I was like 'this bitch is crazy, what the hell?' You go girl!"

Keiko could only nod as she stood hunched over on her knees, still having difficulty catching her breath. She gestured toward her mouth to signal for a drink urging Botan to rush for the cooler to retrieve an orange _Gatorade_ for her friend.

"Keiko," Botan was amazed, "I've never seen you so...raw, and strong, and just...it was like I was watching a different person! I don't know what to say!" Botan could only shake her head as she watched the brown haired girl guzzle down _Gatorade Recover 03_ like she hadn't had anything to drink since birth. Gathering her wits about herself, the other girl finally seemed able to speak. "Keiko?" Botan spared the girl a concerned look.

"I think..." Keiko began slowly, her eyes becoming glazed over as the now 95 degree temperature made it hard for her to breathe. She began to feel as though she had just spun in circles about one thousand times at two hundred miles an hour as beads of sweat continued to trickle down her forehead, temple, and chest. Her heart was pounding at such a rapid rate that she could feel the reps pulsing in her ears and head, giving her a slight headache. Her throat was scratchy from the sand and screaming and she soon found that it was difficult to stand. "I think I need to sit down." And with that, Keiko dropped her empty bottle to the ground, as she stumbled to an empty area of the bench, collapsing on its hard surface. She was out in a matter of seconds.

"She needs to get into a cool area!" Botan rushed to the other girl's side. "Call the medic!" Botan noticed their blond lanista picking up her radio and calling for a medic who was there in a matter of moments. Impressive that they were actually responsive during this challenge.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Cagalli and the rest of the team were highly concerned as she questioned the paramedic.

"Yeah, she should be fine. She just over exerted herself in extreme heat. Some rest, plenty of fluids, and a cool room should have her up and running in no time." The paramedic explained confidently. He noticed that her thighs were severely bruised. "Anyone know how she got these bruises?"

"Oooh." Miriallia hissed. "Yeah, that probably happened when she was riding the bull."

"Oh wow." The paramedic raised his eyebrows. "She'll be fine. We'll take good care of her." And with that, they loaded Keiko onto a gurney and carried her away to the infirmary. That made their official infirmary count three, and they hadn't even made it out of the first category yet.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) All of this abuse was just from the animals. I didn't even wanna think about the damage the boys were going to pound on us! The challenge in itself was kicking our asses on its own!**

_Match 5: Kiba vs. Blue_

"And now ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for. The closing fight to our first category. We've seen some really brutal matches, and it's hard to believe that it's only just beginning as this next match introduces the first match to take place between the two teams!" Jonny paused to allow the crowd time to scream and stomp and clap their excitement. "That's right! The first official MTV Anime Gladiatorial match between the sexes. The men, versus the women! And what better way to close the Bestiarius category than with a debut of both teams' most beastly, animalistic, wild competitors? It's gonna be brutal! It's gonna be dirty! And considering how long I've known these folks, no doubt it's gonna be personal! Your last and first contenders are Kiba versus Bluuuuue!" Jonny introduced the two wolves who entered into the ring in their full canine forms.

Kiba stared down his opponent with a white, hot intensity through golden gems of fearless tenacity. He was met with the evenly intense stare of Blue's icy orbs, the black, female, wolf-hybrid baring her fangs and growling to signal that she meant business.

"I've waited a long time for this." Kiba growled, his snow white fur standing on end as he too bared his fangs into Blue's direction.

"You mean since the moment you met me, or since the moment you woke up looking like a sissified chew toy?" Blue jabbed at the prank that she and her teammates played on the boys where they all woke up with pink hair, including the wolves.

"Gladiators!" Jonny shouted. "FIGHT!"

The two wolves didn't waste time in lunging for one another as they nipped and scratched and tore at one another's fur. The sounds of dogs fighting and whimpering washed throughout every nook and cranny of the arena as the spectators cheered for their chosen competitor.

Blue would make frequent nips at Kiba's shoulders and neck with her canines, using her paws to claw at his muzzle and forehead. She noticed as the white wolf stumbled backwards, slipping and sliding on his hind legs before rolling away out of dodge of her next attack. She could tell that she was giving him a run for his money. "What's the matter, Kiba? Forget to eat your kibble this morning?" Blue teased, generating an angry growl from the alpha wolf.

"Don't get cocky," Kiba huffed, "remember who the _full-blooded _one is in this fight, half-breed."

"Oh, we're doing breed jokes now?" Blue raised coyly. "Guess that must be residual from the estrogen drugs. There's some bitch in you yet, Kiba. Of course, we all _knew_ that. What with your constant whining about Paradise and flowers. Seriously, a girl can only take so much."

Apparently, Blue's words had struck a nerve with Kiba as the white wolf lunged in for yet another attack. The sounds of barking, yipping, and vicious growling of dogs fighting layered with the zealous cheers of the crowd echoed throughout the arena once again. And all both teams could do was observe the fight in silence, anxiously awaiting the outcome and hoping for yet another victory.

The girls watched from their bullpens, each wincing at the sight of blood splattering upon the sweltering sand. Lacus could hardly bear to witness such a display. She loved animals far too much. And with Kiba and Blue in their wolf forms, it made what they were doing look highly questionable. "I must say," Lacus started with a grimace, "the way that this looks...I mean it almost looks illegal, if you understand me." Lacus spared Cagalli a knowing look.

The blond had to think for a moment and then came to a thought. "Wait a minute! _Is_ this legal?" Cagalli scratched the back of her head.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) Okay I never really understood them. Are they wolves first and **_**then**_** humans? Or are they humans first and then wolves? Like werewolves? *MUSING PAUSE* Wait no, that's wrong. They're wolves with magical human disguises. Which means they're wolves 24/7, 365. Ohmygod this is animal cruelty! O_O**

"I don't think it _is_ legal." Miriallia breathed nervously causing Faye to sigh in exasperation.

"Oh come off it girls!" Faye griped. "Since when have they been concerned with what's legal in this competition? When? Sesshomaru BLEEPING decapitated a bear on camera with impunity. Trust me, they don't give a BLEEP!" She sighed as she adjusted her armor. She jumped once she heard a loud yelp coming from the ring only to find Blue lying on her side with Kiba standing over her...flag held taut between his teeth.

"Seriously?" Bra rolled her eyes.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) He bit my tail! That son of a bitch bit my **_**tail**_**! Just so you're aware human viewers, biting the tail is the wolf bitch fight equivalent of pulling your opponent's hair. That was a bitch move Kiba! A **_**bitch**_** move! *PISSED***

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Hmm. Guess it was "residual effects of the estrogen drugs." *SHRUGGING* Yep, we wolves can be catty, too. Just ask Tsume.**

"Bitch." Blue glared towards Kiba in her now mangled human guise as the two of them parted ways. She saw as a group of medics tried to surround her, but the last thing she wanted to endure at the moment was being touched. "Get off me!" She squirmed out of their invasive ministrations as she stormed for her team's locker room cage.

Serena noticed that her teammate was agitated as she made her way toward the exit of the arena, and she wanted so much to see that she was okay. "You alright Bl-"

"I'm fine!" Blue curtly cut off the other girl's question. She didn't want to be bothered. Being taken down by a tail bite was not only a cheap shot, it was humiliating.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Wow. Taken out via tail bite. Damn Blue. Your pride must be **_**non-existent **_**right about now. *EVIL SMIRK***

"Ladies and gentlemen, this hereby concludes the Bestiarius category! We're gonna take a brief intermission before we commence with the main gladiatorial categories, so don't stray too far! Also, enjoy a 5 dollar footlong special at_ Subway_. Buy one 5 dollar footlong and combo and get another footlong free. Today only at MTV's Anime Gladiatorial Games! _Subway_! Always eat fresh!" Jonny announced over the loud speaker as the MTV crew scrambled onto the ring to prep the ground and arena for the second half of the challenge, "E.T." by Katy Perry blasting throughout the arena to signify that it was time for a break. Hundreds of spectators ventured from their seats to take advantage of the many concession options as well as other mundane activities. Meanwhile, the competitors all retreated to their locker room cages for debriefing and recuperation.

_**Boys Cage...**_

Most of the boys were completely energized and beyond eager to proceed with the second half of the challenge. None of them had truly used even a third of their strength, and so they mostly just joked around on the many various ways in which to completely annihilate the girls.

"Kiba I still can't believe you went for her tail!" Duo chuckled. "What a way to publicly make her feel cheap!"

"I found it amusing." Kiba shrugged. "But even still. The punishment hardly fit the crime." His tone suddenly grew dark as he remembered what he and Hige had had to go through during their estrogen poisoning.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) Since we're wolves, our bodies function...differently. The other guys got cramps, headaches, bloating, basic human issues really. Our stomachs churned a bit, yeah. But we also...*STRUGGLING TO FIND THE WORDS* What we went through...*GETTING EMOTIONAL* How they could **_**make **_**us go through...such horrific...I... *DISTURBED PAUSE* The estrogen potion...made us go into heat. *COVERS HIS FACE* It did some BLEEP where it made us secrete female pheromones. We were fighting off male stray dogs all night! So you **_**see**_**? Those bitches gotta PAY damn it! *ALL KINDS OF BUTTHURT* ;_;**

Miroku could see that the white wolf was slipping into a phase of what was soon beginning to look like the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. "It's alright, Kiba." Miroku placed a calming hand on his teammate's back. "We promised to never speak of it."

"Thanks, man." Kiba sniffed.

Yusuke gulped down the last bit of his _Gatorade Prime 01_ as he prepared to give off yet another motivational speech to his team. "Guys, it's only the first half, and already they have three team members in the infirmary. I think it's damn obvious how this battle is gonna end up. So I say we just relax and let the bodies hit the floor. _Hard_."

"OO-RAH!"

_**Girls Cage...**_

"Ladies, this has gotta stop!" Faye, as usual, was the first to open her mouth about everything that was wrong with the team, and how she felt they needed to improve. She paced around anxiously as she spoke. "Look, I know you're all scared BLEEPless out there. And most of you that had to go first had good reason to be, but I'm gonna be honest with you," Faye paused her pacing as she turned to face her teammates, "get the hell over it!" She gave a moment to let that statement marinate. "Worrying about what the boys are gonna do is only putting us right where they want us, scared and running! Well I say it's time to _stop_ running! We've got a lot of strong players on this team, and we can make them feel the sting of this challenge, too. Keiko already gave us the boost we needed. And she's recovering from it right now as we speak. Remember her determination. If _she_ can do it, if _she_ can believe in this team, we _all_ can. We _can_ win this. We don't have to be the victims here." Faye encouraged. She waited a moment as silence rested within their cage for a moment before someone finally decided to cut through the uncomfortable moment.

"Are you done?" Bra's muffled voice could be heard from the back of the room. The blue-haired girl was lying on her back on a bench, her head resting on her handbag as her arm rested lazily over her eyes.

"Yeah, Bra. Do you have anything to add?" Faye released an inaudbile sigh.

"Yeeep." Propping up into a sitting position, Bra placed her handbag on her lap as she began to rummage through its darkened confines. Pulling out a sheet of notebook paper she then cleared her throat as if preparing herself to read a long speech. "_Kagome's like a tick on your ass that refuses to let go even after it's had its fill. It's not really good for anything, and it serves no purpose whatsoever, but you're always reminded of its irritating presence whenever you take a BLEEP._ Quote, Inuyasha."

"What?" Kagome shrieked, but stopped once Bra held up her finger as if to say 'wait, there's more.'

"_I've told Sango that I'd be a gentleman whenever she's asleep. But secretly I've been making her nighttime tea with a special herb to help her sleep through the night. After all, when it comes to these hands there's no telling the places they'll get to explore. Speaking of which, she should really be more conscientious about taking Kagome up on her bra offer. It's just to easy to get to the girls and I personally like a challenge. _Quote Miroku."

"What was that?" Sango growled, she waited as the other girl silenced her with a single digit. Apparently, there was much much more.

"_I dunno what Hilde's problem is. I mean what kinda chick bone's a guy and then ignores him for three days? And they call _me_ a jerk. I swear I always fall for the manipulative sluts with short black hair. Guess I'll just have to settle for her sexy Caribbean friend. _Quote Duo."

"W-w-wait a minute now! W-w-we've never-" Hilde was cut off as Bra signaled that she was nowhere near done.

"What _is_ this?" Aeka furrowed her brow in confusion.

"_Miriallia. Sweet, prudish Miriallia. I tell you my true feelings, and you just trample on them like the succubitch that you are. Ah well, I forgive you. But that's mostly because I spread a rumor throughout PLANT, ORB, and the entire crew of the Archangel that you were a les. Don't worry, they all accept you as you are. _Quote Dearka."

"That little parasitic, perverted...I am _not _a lesbian! You knew that right? I mean I had a boyfriend remember?" Miriallia regarded Lacus who could only nod slowly. Bra continued to read from the mysterious piece of paper, she could feel the anger rising within the locker room cage, and it excited her in a very sadistic and warped kind of way.

"_Sometimes I wonder if Faye always dresses like a cheap whore because she actually thinks that I'd be interested in her. Sure she's got a nice rack, but her personality is irritating as hell. That's why I need to increase my alcohol intake whenever I'm around her. I can't stand her. And I'm sick of her always trying to get in my pants. For the thousandth time. I've got a girlfriend. Lay off, ya desperate pirate hooker! _Quote Spike."

Faye said nothing but only watched as Bra proceeded down the list with beaming enthusiasm. "_Childhood friend or not, I hope Winry's aware that I only keep her around for easy access to free automail. I know she's had this elaborate fantasy of being Mrs. Edward Elric since we were kids, and as creepy as that is, I gotta have a mechanic on call for no cost. I _am _the Full Metal Alchemist after all. I just wish she'd stop this feigned boyfriend/girlfriend act. Keep dreaming Win, it's never gonna happen. You're like a sister to me. Accept it! _Quote Ed Elric, of course."

"Ooooh." Winry growled as she balled her fists up to her sides.

"_I am _so_ sick and tired of this hot and cold act that Cagalli keeps pulling with me. As a Coordinator I have the more advanced capability of employing more rational thought, and her behavior is akin to a drunken, neurotic, crackhead with nothing more than a third grade education. The manipulative BLEEP is a headache. _She's_ a headache. And the only reason I'm sticking this out is because she let's me do that thing with my_-"

"Okay enough!" Cagalli cut off Bra's reading session. "What the hell are those, and _where_ did you get them?"

"They're brain scans." Bra explained as she pulled out a small, black, rectangular device from her purse, holding it up for all to see. "From this."

"Explain, please." Lacus demanded.

"Well, when my parents visited for my birthday, I kinda got a hold of a prototype that my mom's company...or, well..._our _company Capsule Corps, has been working on." Noticing the questioning stares plastered upon her teammates faces, she decided to be completely honest. "Okay, I stole it. It's a little descreet device that when placed within 20 feet of a target can scan their brainwaves to literally read their thoughts. The small built-in computer chip-set records the waves and translates them through some kind of software that they've been developing in our lab into spoken language. Since it's a prototype, the voice box on this thing is really crappy. So I took the liberty of transcribing every little thought that I got my grimy little paws on." Bra explained with a devious smirk.

Kagome was absolutely horrified. "So these were actually...their _thoughts_ that you just read?" She could feel herself boiling over with anger.

"Mmhmm. There were many others. But I only felt like writing down the ones that I thought were the _absolute_ best." Bra winked.

"I don't believe this!" Cagalli was fuming. "That blue-haired son of a bitch!"

"So. As you can see, most of the guys genuinely can't stand the lot of you. So I'm sure you'll go easy on them in the ring and be all kumbaya with the hand to hand." Bra joked sarcastically.

"BLEEP that." Faye narrowed her eyes darkly. "I hate them all. Take them_ all _down."

"Now _that's_ what I call a motivational speech." Bra nodded her approval.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) It had to be done. And now...we wait.**

_**To be continued...**_


	21. Gladiator, Part 3

A/N: Welcome to Season 7 of Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style. So it's official. I'm turning this story into a summer reader. It just has such a summer feel to it, don't you agree? Chapters will run once a week from June through August. And then you'll have to wait until next summer. I know, I know, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? I've already been working ideas for a spin-off series which will include many new Anime characters, and some veterans from this story. The wheels are definitely spinning, but I truly enjoy writing for this story, and I'm sure it's a fun way to kick back for you guys during the summer. So hopefully we can keep it going for a while. Last we left off, Bra had released some "secrets" that angered the girls pretty hard, and they're all pumped for battle now because of it. Let's see how they handle themselves in the ring with the guys.

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except for the one's that I own.

Song Disclaimer: "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO; "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 21: Gladiator, Part 3**

The afternoon sun continued to beam down on the arena with ruthless abandon. The spectators collected back into the stands from the intermission, gulping down gallons of ice, cold sodas and other means to fend off the rising heat. They watched as the last of the MTV crew members had just finished brushing the sandy arena floors in preparation for the second half of the Gladiatorial games. A small screech of feedback could be heard over the loud speakers as Jonny's voice interrupted "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO that had been filling the arena with its heavy dance beats. It was time. Both teams were about to go head to head in what would prove to be a _true_ battle of the sexes. Both sides were more than eager to commence. This was it. This was personal.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you're all settled and back from that longer than necessary break because you won't wanna miss a second of the battles we have prepared for you this afternoon!" Jonny announced brightly. He waited for the collection of cheers that reverberated throughout the arena to settle before speaking again. "Up next is the main category of the day's events, and it will prove to be brutally entertaining. So brace yourselves, folks!" More cheers echoed within the arena carrying down into the bullpens of the competitors.

Both teams were out for blood, though the girls' anger was mostly due to Bra's interference; Not that that was unusual. The girl was habitually responsible for thoroughly pissing off at least one person every day since the beginning of the competition. She was truly quite talented. She sat down on the bench with her legs crossed, idly picking her nails as she observed her teammates staring daggers onto the arena floor. She could tell that they were pumped and ready to start the challenge, and holding back was not an option.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Finally they knocked it off with the bitching and whining. That was **_**beyond**_** annoying. *ROLLS EYES***

The boys all seemed to notice the major demeanor shift within the girls team. They would've been lying if they claimed to not be at least slightly worried about the new development.

Yusuke's eyes narrowed upon Faye's form as she glared into the direction of the ring. As if to feel the boy's eyes upon her, she slowly turned her neck to meet her fierce, emerald stare with his brown orbs. Her expression was unreadable as the two locked gazes. What was she thinking? What was she planning? What happened during the break? "What the hell?" Yusuke breathed quietly under his breath, being careful to not give his wariness away as he remained frozen within her view. "Hey who's going against Faye?" He queried absently.

"That'd be me." Spike raised as he made final adjustments to his armor.

"Umm, ok. Spike..." Yusuke trailed as she slowly pulled his eyes away from Faye.

"What?" Spike could pick up on a hint of worry within Yusuke's voice. "You're not actually worried about me are you, Urameshi? I mean come on, it's _Faye_." Spike huffed.

"Yeah, I know, but something is off with her. With _all_ of them." Yusuke added.

"So? What else is new?" Spike waved dismissively. "They're _all_ off. Especially that crazy bitch, Bra. Sorry, dude." Spike half-apologized to the girl in question's elder brother who was sitting nearby. His match was done, so the half-Saiyan decided to assist with keeping their cooler stocked with refreshments.

"None taken." Trunks shrugged.

"This is true, but something doesn't feel right." Yusuke scratched his chin. "Men," He regarded the rest of his team, "hold nothing back."

The girls proceeded to prepare themselves to do serious battle. Cagalli, knowing that her fight with Kurama would be the opening match, was taking extra precautions to make sure that she was ready. She had guzzled down two _Gatorade Primes_ and made sure to sharpen her curved sword. She wasn't taking any chances with Kurama's plant spawning powers.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) I know Kurama has the ability to grow plants and use them to his advantage. I had thought about bringing a lighter and calling it a day, but it's no telling what kinda fumes his BLEEP lets out. Remember Laser Tag? *SHUDDERS***

"Cagalli." Faye called to the blonde girl flatly.

"Yeah." Cagalli responded in similar tone. The two met eyes momentarily as if to be communicating telepathically what they truly wanted to say.

"Hold nothing back." Faye stated darkly.

"Of course." Cagalli nodded as she headed for the ring, the small grains of sand beginning to collect into her sandals.

Yusuke helped Kurama make a few last minute adjustments to his armor as the other watched Cagalli approach the center of the ring. She was obviously amped for battle, and currently giving him the look of one thousand deaths. "Hmm." Kurama's eyes narrowed onto her form musedly.

"Whatcha thinking there, buddy?" Yusuke noticed Kurama's cold disposition.

"I believe these girls may have found new incentive to ensure our defeat in this challenge." Kurama's eyes then drifted toward Bra as she watched Cagalli through the fencing of the bullpen. Their gazes locked briefly, and Kurama could've sworn that he saw a hint of a smile and deviance in her sapphire gems. She then spared him a sly wink that was far from friendly or flirtatious. It didn't take much for the kitsune to deduce what was going on here.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I may be incorrect, but my instincts told me that Bra played a role in the girls' quest for our blood. Considering the source, however, I doubt that I was incorrect. I saw that I had to follow Yusuke's advice. I did not hold back.**

"Very well then." Kurama stated, mostly to himself.

"What was that?" Yusuke questioned only to be ignored as the red-headed kitsune made his way toward the center of the ring. No helmet. No weapon. The only items shielding him from Cagalli's wrath being the high greaves on his legs and his arm protectors. After all, he was confident that they wouldn't be needed. He still held that confidence as his jade-tinted eyes burned into Cagalli's brown ones.

"He's barely wearing any armor. Cocky bastard." Cagalli huffed under her breath, her wide-brimmed helmet beginning to make her sweat from the sweltering heat of the sun.

The squeak of the speaker system alerted the crowd that their announcer was preparing to speak. "Alright, gladiators..." Jonny began. He waited for Cagalli and Kurama to assume their stances and go into 'kill mode' before he finished his command. "FIGHT!"

At Jonny's signal, Cagalli wasted no time to rush towards Kurama, brandishing her weapon like a true warrior of centuries past. The fire in her eyes and the thunder in her battle cries sent shivers throughout the spectators who cheered at her energy and zeal. The dust that she created beneath her feet soon began to create a thin, hazey barrier between her and her opponent as he slowly became nothing but a hale, silhouette in the distance. He wasn't moving. Why wasn't he moving? "Ugh! What the hell!" Cagalli growled in exasperation. As she closed the gap between the two of them, she whipped her sword across his belt, hoping to free it from his waist along with the orange flag attached. It was as if he was waiting for that moment as he flanked to her right with supernatural speed, catching the blonde girl off balance.

"Son of a..." Cagalli yelped in frustration as she stumbled forward clumsily. Catching her footing, she turned smartly on her heels only to be met with what appeared to be a vine around her neck. "Wha..." She could feel the cool, rubbery sensation against her throat as it became more and more difficult to swallow. Her eyes stayed focused on Kurama, whom she then noticed held the free end of the vine taut within his fist. His eyes were cold and dangerous as he tightened his grip, bringing the girl to her knees. She was starting to feel lightheaded from the pressure.

"Ohmygod are you kidding? That can't be legal!" Miriallia cried out in horror. She watched as Cagalli made failed attempts to release the vice grip of Kurama's vine around her neck.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) He was choking her out! Like actually choking her out! And people were cheering! CHEERING! I...I can't...*****MORTIFIED***

Faye was in a blind rage as she watched helplessly from the bullpen, maintaining a death grip upon the fence. It was all that she could do to stop herself from running out to the ring and bitch slapping Kurama sideways all around the arena. "They're not going to stop this?" Faye stated darkly. Faye's question was swiftly answered as she and her team watched Cagalli feebly pass out. A cloud of dust surrounded her unconscious body as it made a less than graceful impact with the sandy floors of the ring. Their gaze remained frozen upon Kurama as they watched him saunter his way toward Cagalli and gently remove the orange flag that was snapped to her armor, winning the match for his team.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ...**

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) ...**

**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) ...**

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) ...Bad. Ass. Mother. BLEEPer.**

Lacus was in a complete state of shock from what she had just witnessed from Kurama. It was as if she were watching a different person. Though she knew it was ridiculous and impossible to think such a thing true, she also could've sworn that she saw his eyes turn amber during the display. "I..." Lacus was at a loss for words. This was not the kindhearted Kurama that she had come to know. This was not the gentle, caring, spirit that had comforted her when she was broken and alone. No, this was someone else. This was a monster.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) There was such darkness in his eyes. Such glacial, unrelenting darkness. *UNCOMFORTABLE PAUSE* I am thoroughly freaked out right now. O_O **

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) So yeah, two working theories here. Theory number 1: Kurama, like the rest of his weirdo friends is some kind of hard ass, demon, fighter, detective, ghostbuster or whatever. Theory number 2: He has multiple personality disorder. Fingers crossed for theory number 2. *CRAZY GRIN***

Kurama shuffled in the direction of his team's bullpen, where a group of quietly, stunned individuals awaited him. He allowed himself to peer over towards Lacus, whom he felt watching him from her bullpen. His eyes immediately softened as they rested upon her form, but he could see that the gesture was not welcomed. The girl held a dead pan look upon her beautiful face as she stared into his eyes. He knew why. He had frightened her. He hadn't wanted her to find out like that. "No." He released an inaudible sigh. They would indeed need to talk once the challenge was over.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Up until that point, I had failed to disclose the existence of my Yoko half to Miss Clyne. I hadn't felt she was ready to learn about that side of me, let alone accept it. I suppose then was a better time than any. I just hope that she doesn't view me in a negative light because of it.**

**MTV Crewman: Dude, you choked out her friend right in front of her!**

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Perhaps she will learn to look past my darkness, and learn to love the man that resides within.**

**MTV Crewman: The man that resides within choked out her friend in front of her!**

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) *TAKES OUT ROSE WHIP AND SLAPS CREWMAN UNCONSCIOUS*  
My darkness is not my fault. I am a product of my environment. Hopefully Lacus will understand. *KICKS CREWMAN DEFIANTLY***

Kurama's shocking act of brutality against Cagalli landed the poor girl in the infirmary along with Flay and Keiko. Lacus had been so absorbed with replaying the incident within her mind that she didn't even notice when Aeka and Pan had finished their matches, signifying that it was her turn to go up against Yzak. Pan's cheers of victory returned her lucidity as she watched the small half-Saiyan trot into the bullpen.

"Can you believe Miroku actually tried to use his Wind Tunnel on me?" Pan chuckled. "Ya know, if I had gotten sucked into that thing, he would've DQ'ed. How stupid can he be?"

"Guess he was desperate." Bra added lazily. "Hey Pinky, you're up!" Bra nodded toward Lacus, who was fiddling nervously with her armor.

Lacus jolted at the sound of Bra's voice alerting her that it was time. She slowly stood to her feet, her face still frozen and emotionless. Her demeanor caught Android 18's attention causing her to grab the Coordinator by the arm to find out what was up. "Hey, what's up? You okay?"

"Y-yes, 18, I'm fine. Thank you." Lacus breathed flatly.

"You sure? 'Cause, you look kind of...lost." Android 18 narrowed her eyes as if to be studying the other girl's disposition carefully. She could tell that something was going on. She assumed that her teammate was just nervous about going against Yzak. So she tried to offer words of encouragement. "Don't worry, he's not gonna hurt you. He secretly adores you and you know it."

"What?" Lacus' eyes widened at Android 18's declaration. Did she know about her and Kurama? She was certain that the two of them had been doing well of keeping their relationship discreet. "How did you..."

"Oh, Dearka let it out at Bra's party. He totally loves you and your music. Apparently, he kept his Gundam adorned with posters of you which under normal circumstances would be creepy as hell, but you are a singer so..." Android 18 shrugged.

"Oh, you mean Yzak." Lacus sighed knowingly.

"Uh, yeah. Who'd you think I was talking about?" Android 18 raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"No one." Lacus shook her head, brushing off the conversation as she headed toward the ring for her match with Yzak. She could feel Android 18's eyes on her, and could only say a silent prayer that the other didn't catch on.

Android 18 watched intently as Lacus reached the center of the ring, meeting her opponent head on. "Hmm."

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) No seriously, who did she think I was talking about? This is gonna screw with me for the rest of the day now! Kira? Athrun? Oh god if it's Athrun, Cagalli is gonna kill her! *MUSING PAUSE* Is it terrible that I hope it's Athrun?**

Lacus clasped the hilt of her sword as she anxiously eyed Yzak's form. She could see the orange flag attached to his waist belt whipping back and forth in the wind, giving her a clear shot of her goal. She truly wasn't in a fighting mood. Such dark and disturbing thoughts plagued her mind at the moment. They tortured her mercilessly, and she was finding it difficult to concentrate.

"Hey princess," Yzak's sharp voice broke the silence, "don't think just because I'm a fan of your music that I won't kick your ass. This goes beyond the competition. I don't appreciate being made a fool of." Yzak stated harshly.

"I...what?" Lacus was confused. She then remembered about their memories being returned, and she was immediately frightened. "Yzak, listen to me." Lacus started carefully.

"No, enough talking!" The silver-haired Coordinator rushed towards her with impressive speed. With his trident raised above his head in a manner similar to Poseidon, Yzak had his eyes settled on Lacus' waistband and the orange flag that rested there.

Her teammates watched as Yzak grew dangerously close to her location, and Lacus just seemed to stand there. This especially annoyed Sango, who was a skilled fighter, and couldn't resist shouting out tips every now and again. "What the...BLOCK IT!" Sango's voice was commanding and dangerous, Lacus couldn't help but listen as she quickly raised her sword. The blade came in contact with Yzak's trident, catching between the prongs as she was brought to one knee by the force of the collision.

A devious smirk spread across Yzak's lips as he added more pressure to the union of their weapons. "Looks like our delicate little pop princess has some fight in her. Who knew? So what else can you do?" Yzak taunted.

Struggling to maintain her hold and trying to ignore the cheers from the crowd that she could've sworn were on the boys' side today, Lacus used all of her strength to push Yzak back, separating their weapons. Charging for him, she spun on her heel for leverage, bringing the pommel of her sword in forceful contact with her opponent's jaw, causing him to stumble back.

"Wow, she actually got a hit in!" Kagome squealed excitedly. "Way to go, Lacus!"

In the boys' bullpen, no one was in the least bit amused. "Come on bro," Dearka called out to the ring, "if you get your ass kicked by Lacus Clyne you are DISMISSED my friend!"

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) Man card ownership, REVOKED! White Shore residence, EVICTED! Military rank, DEMOTED! He might as well just slip on a dress and call himself a girl. The guy's already halfway there anyway with that hair. Be real, you thought he was a girl when you first saw him, too!**

**MTV Producer: He's an Anime character, you all look like girls.**

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) I don't look like a girl! I think you're confusing good looks with androgyny. I'm mean, look at this body! I'm sexy and you know it!**

***Insert LMFAO "Sexy and I Know It" here***

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) *WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE***

**MTV Producer: *GRABS PEPPER SPRAY***

"Take her down, Joule!" Yusuke yelled from the bullpen. He saw Yzak regain his bearings, and he could tell that the boy was even more pissed from Lacus' shot. "Ohh, he's gonna get her now. Check him out." Yusuke nudged Kuwabara who was glued to the fence in anticipation of Yzak's next move.

"Yeah man, she's done. She shoulda grabbed his flag when she hit him." Kuwabara shook his head.

"But you see Kuwabara, that would've been smart." Yusuke stated sarcastically generating a guttural laugh from the other boy.

Lacus stared down the ring at Yzak who was panting in rage. Perhaps hitting him was not the best idea. "Salt in an open wound, I suppose." She whispered to herself. She jumped slightly when he threw his weapon down on the ground and began removing his upper-armor so that he was bare from the waist up. The sun seemed to reflect off of his pale skin, giving him a soft glow. The sheen of sweat that glazed his chest reminded them of the rising temperature. She looked up at the monitors and saw that it was 94 degrees, the discovery giving her a sudden feeling of being uncomfortably hot. "Of all the days to not have a single cloud in the sky. Ugh." Lacus groaned as she too, dropped her weapon and removed her upper-armor revealing her hot-pink sports bra underneath.

Botan was at a loss as to what was happening. She was still not that good at reading human body language. "Does anyone know what they're doing?" She questioned innocently.

Faye, having the street knowledge that she did, immediately picked up on what was about to transpire. "Botan, my dear, they are about to seriously fight."

"Yeah," Hilde added, "like, hand-to-hand, old school, playground fight." There was a hint of a smile in her voice as she moved closer to the gate. Yzak then hastily ran toward Lacus who followed suite. The two of them collided like football players as they both fell to the ground.

Jonny couldn't help but add his witty commentary at this turn of events. "Well folks, it looks like these two have traded ancient European decorum, for modern WWE Smackdown tactics. But we're not complaining are we?" Jonny had to laugh to himself once the crowd's cheers grew louder. "Didn't think so! And it looks like Yzak has Lacus in a variation of a mounted armbar submission! How will the pop-diva get outta this one?"

"Oh hell yeah!" Duo applauded. "Way to go MMA on the bitch, Joule!"

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I forgot, Yzak did MMA. He told us all about it a while ago. Lacus didn't stand a chance!**

Lacus could feel Yzak's weight, holding her arms in place as he hovered over her. She struggled to move, but found that only her lower body was mobile. "Get off!" She yelled in frustration.

"Uh, no, it's a competition, genius." Yzak rolled his eyes. He noticed her orange flag still attached to her waist, but he knew that if he moved his arms that Lacus would be able to escape. So he had to think of an alternative move.

**Yzak: Gundam SEED (Guys) I figured the only way to get her flag off was to go for a blood choke and put her to sleep. Kurama definitely had the right idea. Put all those bitches in the infirmary for all I care!**

Lacus continued to struggle underneath Yzak's weight until she realized that maybe having only her lower body mobile wasn't exactly a bad thing. Bucking her hips up, she noticed an opening between herself and Yzak. Swinging one arm underneath while keeping her other hand firm on his shoulder, she swiftly slid beneath him, switching positions and bringing him into submission.

Jonny noticed the move, though sloppily executed, he could tell what Lacus was trying to do. "And it appears now that Lacus has escaped Yzak's side control submission and managed to place the Coordinator into a D'arce choke. I guess singing pop songs isn't the only skill this music icon possesses!" The crowd continued to cheer as Lacus turned her body to get Yzak on his side, his head still trapped between her arms in the D'arce choke.

"Oh BLEEP, she's got him!" Kuwabara shrieked.

"No she doesn't." Wufei stated calmly, as he studied the fight with expert skill from his spot in the bullpen. He folded his arms and leaned his back against the wall, not worried at all about what appeared to be Yzak's guaranteed defeat.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) I've been studying Martial Arts since I was in-utero, and I'm quite familiar with MMA techniques. Anyone with amateur skill in the sport would've been able to tell that Lacus hardly possessed the upper hand at that point.**

In response to her submission, Yzak then used his hand to push her hips backward creating a space between the two of them and enough room for him to maneuver as needed. Thrusting his leg between hers, he used their weight to flip over so that he was out of the choke, and Lacus was kneeling in front of him. She appeared surprised as the movement was so quick, but she had little time to think about it as she found that Yzak had somehow managed to get behind her. He secured his legs around her waist and his arms skillfully held her in place as they wrapped around her neck. She could feel the blood starting to rush to her head, a sensation of hanging upside down washing over her suddenly.

"SQUEEZE man! SQUEEZE!" Dearka encouraged.

Jonny saw the move and eagerly commentated every action following. "Yzak's got Lacus in a blood choke, and I think this is it for the pop princess ladies and gentlemen! She's going, going, going," Jonny observed as Lacus' struggles became weaker and weaker until she finally passed out, "and GONE!" The crowd could barely contain themselves as Yzak grabbed Lacus' flag from her waistband, winning yet another match for his team.

"HELL yeah!" Dearka celebrated with the rest of his team as Yzak headed back to their bullpen, Lacus' flag in hand. The girls' lanistas ran out to where Lacus lay in the ring, shaking the girl back awake as they escorted her weary body back to their bullpen.

"You alright? Can you see?" The blonde lanista asked Lacus as she helped walk her toward the bullpen.

"I'm...yes." Lacus breathed dazedly. She could feel them placing her on a bench, placing a cool _Gatorade _bottle to her cheek to help bring her back to full consciousness.

The girls couldn't believe what they were seeing. The boys truly were showing no mercy, and as it stood, their own idea of showing no mercy was no good. Bra, being physically the strongest on their team, was becoming immensely frustrated at watching them lose as if it were fashionable. Thus far, Pan was the only one of them who had won any of the main category matches. "This is a BLEEPing joke! You guys are a BLEEPing joke! I swear to god!"

"You know what Bra," Miriallia began with an irritated sigh, "you berating us is not going to help! It's only going to make things worse!" Miriallia was fuming. "I mean, do you NOT know how to work on a team, because all you've done since DAY ONE is complain, whine, and talk about how much we suck! Well if you hate your team so much, why don't you just go and be with the boys? Your personally fits with their's anyway being that it stinks of selfish, assBLEEPism!"

"Was I even BLEEPing talking to you?" Bra stepped over toward Miriallia in an attempt to intimidate the other girl. Much to her chagrin, however, Miriallia was quite unfazed.

"Oh what are you gonna do, Bra? Blow me up?" Miriallia mocked as she rolled her eyes.

"I might!" Bra threatened. This caused Sango to step between them, hoping to keep the peace.

"Okay, stop it you two!" Sango ordered. "Look at us! We're fighting amongst ourselves! Meanwhile, the boys are celebrating together and supporting each other getting stronger because we, for whatever stupid reason, can't get along!" Sango raised her hands above her head in annoyance. "When have you noticed the guys fighting each other since this competition started? When? Don't worry, I'll wait!" Sango then folded her arms to feign waiting for an answer. "Exactly! Because they haven't! They've been there for each other in their own twisted, morally depraved ways since the beginning. And what have we done? We've not only schemed against them, but we've schemed against each other. Brought each other down. Insulted each other's lack of fashion sense!"

"That one's mostly me." Bra added plainly.

"Yeah, it is Bra! It is mostly you!" Sango spared the blue-haired half-Saiyan an ominous glare. "And then you complain about how we're always losing, or how we never do anything right when, newsflash, you and that ungrateful, spoiled brat Flay are two of our biggest problems! So either shut the hell up and be supportive for once, or go home!" Sango had to take a breath, she was so angry.

The other girls watched with nervous anticipation as to what Bra's response would be. There was no doubting that the girl was unstable and didn't exactly appreciate being told what to do, especially in the manner in which Sango had done so.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) I was really nervous. Bra had that look in her eye like she wanted to rip Sango apart. Literally. It was the same look she had during her birthday, and we all know how well that went for everyone. *GULP***

Bra could do nothing but stare at Sango with a defiant expression. "Fine. I won't say a word." The heiress then took a seat on one of the benches, having surrendered to Sango's request.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) That, lovely viewers, was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. It's a whole new game, now.**

The boys had just finished singing praises to Yzak once Jonny announced that it was time for Yusuke's match with Serena. They didn't even seem affected by Heero and Dearka's losses to Android 18 and Sango as they were too busy trying to gain MMA tips from Yzak. As Dearka made his way from his lost match with Sango, Yusuke gave him a high five and was hardly worried about his own match. After all, it was with Serena.

"Hey, try to go easy on her. She's probably the nicest member of their team." Ed pat Yusuke on the shoulder as the other boy started for the ring.

Yusuke had to stare at the small, blonde, alchemist for a moment to see if he was serious. He was beginning to worry until Ed's eyes gave him away, and the two burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Ah man, you almost had me there!"

"I know, it was hard to say that with a straight face, though!" Ed chuckled. "Yeah, no, make it hurt Urameshi." He encouraged.

"Oh most definitely." Yusuke winked.

The girls were surrounding Serena, trying offer as much moral support as they could. "I'm fine, guys. Really!" Serena assured.

Ryoko was hardly convinced that Serena would come out of her match unscathed, let alone win. "No offense, cupcake, but there's no way..." Ryoko could only shake her head in disbelief. "...just no way."

"Maybe so," Serena began, "but that doesn't mean I won't make him work for it." She winked, causing the other members of her team to blink in confusion. She then reached into her back pocket and retrieved her broach, holding it above her head and calling it into action. "Moon! Crystal! POWER!"

Suddenly, the girl's bullpen was filled with a colorful array of lights as Serena ascended into the air holding her silver crystal in the center of her chest, swirling around and around...in the nude.

"Okay, where did her clothes go?" Ryoko swallowed as she whispered to Aeka.

"I'm not sure, but I'm slightly uncomfortable and offended." Aeka furrowed her brow.

They watched as a set of wings manifested behind her and a collection of pink, ribbon-like lights engulfed her body, soon taking the form of a white leotard with a blue and white, sailor style sash. This method was repeated for her gloves, boots, and mini skirt. It was then that the girls began to pick up on what she was doing.

"She's going to be Sailor Moon for her match!" Kagome realized.

"Well now, I guess this will be an interesting battle after all." Faye smiled.

Posing, as she was wont to do after every single transformation, Serena -now Sailor Moon- was in complete battle mode and ready for whatever Yusuke would dish out for her.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) The only way I know how to do battle is as Sailor Moon. And honestly, even that's debatable. *NERVOUS LAUGH***

Sailor Moon walked out to the center of the ring to face Yusuke. She could feel her insides churning, but she ignored it. She had to concentrate on the battle.

"Serena?" Yusuke raised his eyebrows as he looked her up and down. He had to stifle a laugh upon getting a good view of her outfit.

"You know who I am?" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Uhh, you ain't exactly wearing a mask, sweetheart." Yusuke teased.

"But, no one's supposed to recognize us when we transform. There's supposed to be a spell or...something. Everyone that I know has never recognized me when I'm Sailor Moon." She couldn't believe that Yusuke was able to identify her so easily.

"Then everyone you know is either blind or retarded because it's pretty damn obvious." He stated jovially. "Now are we gonna fight, or are you gonna try to distract me with panty shots?"

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) A mini skirt? Really? How is that proper battle attire? I don't get it. At all.**

"Oooh!" Sailor Moon wasted no time with enacting her first attack. Grabbing her tiara from her forehead, the crowd watched as the small object became surrounded in light assuming the form of a disk. "Moon! Tiara! Magic!" Sailor Moon shouted her attack as the small disk rushed toward Yusuke, having marked him for annihilation.

"BLEEP!" Yusuke ducked out of dodge from the flying object as it barely missed him, but like a boomerang, it came right back around. "What?"

"My tiara won't stop until it hits its target. So there's really no point in running, Yusuke." Sailor Moon smiled confidently.

Sailor Moon's teammates were astounded by this new side to her that they never knew existed. "Looks like someone's got a bit of a mean streak in them." A devious grin played upon Faye's lips. "I like."

Yusuke then had an idea. If the tiara had him marked, then perhaps it would settle for a piece of him instead. Removing his helmet he threw it into the air and watched as it exploded into a million pieces as the tiara made impact. "Sweet. I didn't think that'd work."

"No!" Sailor Moon retrieved her tiara, frustrated that her attack had failed.

"That all ya got?" Yusuke provoked.

"Actually no. It isn't." Sailor Moon replied darkly.

"Then let's see whatcha got, babe!" Yusuke raised his hands making a 'come at me' gesture to further push his opponent into action.

"Fine!" Sailor Moon obliged as she began her next attack. "Moon! Sceptor! Elimination!" She was surprised when she realized that Yusuke was no longer standing in front of her once her attack was charged and ready. Instead..."What?"

"Boo!" Yusuke tapped Sailor Moon on her shoulder, dangling the orange flag that was attached to her ribbon smugly from his fingers.

"H-how did you..." Sailor Moon was completely astonished.

"Well while you were busy dancing around with the pretty lights, I figured it was a good time to just grab the flag considering how oblivious you were to your surroundings. Why were your eyes closed anyway? And, do you realize that it takes you like a whole minute just to fire off your attacks? How the hell are you even winning battles? What are you fighting, statues?" Yusuke laughed.

"The Negaverse!" Sailor Moon gritted as she balled her fists to her sides.

"Well, they're mega-stupid." Yusuke waived as he headed for his bullpen.

"It's NEGAverse! With an 'N!'" Sailor Moon corrected.

"Meh, megaverse, nigaverse...whatever." Yusuke yawned.

"No not nig...ugh!" Sailor Moon protested as she stomped back to her bullpen.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) It's not n-word verse! For the last time! It's NEGAverse. Like NEGAtive and uniVERSE. Get it? We are NOT racist! *RAGES***

Sailor Moon, allowed her guise to die out returning to her normal form as Serena. She plopped down dejectedly on a bench, resting her chin in her hands. She had failed, and was not looking forward to the verbal onslaught from her team.

"Hey you did good out there, Serena!" Kagome praised.

"Yes, I was quite impressed myself." Aeka complimented.

Serena was shocked that they weren't coming down on her for losing. "Really? You guys think I did okay?"

"Of course! I mean you tried, and did your best!" Kagome sat down beside the blonde moon princess, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Serena's eyes drifted toward Bra who had her back turned to the rest of the team. Perhaps Sango commanding her to silence actually was what was best for the team. "Hmm, okay. Thanks guys!"

Bra could only roll her eyes and how ridiculous they all sounded. It was like something out of The Brady Bunch or some cheesy, 90s after school special. She wanted so badly to tell Serena how righteously the other had screwed up, but she had a better plan. She noticed that Hilde and Ryoko were the only ones not piling on the sap and sugarcoating Serena's epic failure. "Hmm, interesting." Bra stated mostly to herself.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks our teammates are a joke. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes on those two.**

Faye and Botan had completed, and subsequently lost, their matches to Spike and Wufei. Once again, their teammates were in their corners comforting them and offering words of encouragement in spite of their losses. Bra was filled with intense disgust by the gestures and she was certain that she noticed Hilde roll her eyes in their direction, and it was then that she realized. Hilde was annoyed by it, too. "Jackpot."

Botan trotted over to Hilde who was sitting alone in the corner of the bullpen. "Hilde, it's time for your match with Kuwabara! Good luck!" Botan smiled.

"Yeah." Hilde responded curtly as she left the bullpen and entered the ring for her match.

Botan could tell that something was bothering the other girl, but she chose to ignore it. Today was an intense day for them all, and so she assumed that Hilde was just on edge about her impending match with Kuwabara.

Hilde dropped her gladius onto the arena floor, its blade making a clanking sound upon impact. She just stared at Kuwabara who was glaring back at her. She knew that he and the rest of his teammates were beyond pissed about the 'Frozen Solid' challenge. So she had no intention of holding back. Extending her arms out to each side, she beckoned Kuwabara to come at her, the expression on her face nonchalantly challenging.

"Ohh, you're asking for it!" Kuwabara huffed.

"Yeah, that's generally what this gesture means." Hilde responded with dry sarcasm.

"I usually don't fight girls." Kuwabara forewarned.

"That's too bad, because I usually fight guys. Especially tools like you." Hilde insulted.

"Hey, I ain't no tool!" Kuwabara lunged for Hilde's small frame sending the two of them flying backwards. Falling onto her back, Hilde used Kuwabara's weight against him as she flipped him over her, the orange-haired boy landed hard on his back into the sand.

Rolling backwards so that her legs were straddling his neck, Hilde used her lower body strength to flip Kuwabara over onto his belly, snatching his flag off in the process.

"Whoa, dude, that was way too easy!" Yusuke groaned.

"The hell is wrong with him?" Android 17 was completely displeased with how quickly Kuwabara lost the match.

Hiei could only frown at the display and spare Yusuke a knowing glance. "Yusuke."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I don't wanna talk about it right now." Yusuke waved his hands toward the ring as he went to sit on the bench, not wanting to meet eyes with Kuwabara at the moment.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) His man card was suspended when we found out about his kitten infatuation. After this, that BLEEP is completely revoked! Unbelievable!**

The wins and losses had alternated between the boys and the girls between matches ten and twelve as Android 17 made quick work of Miriallia and Bra offered the same treatment to Kira. The game was still 7-5 in the main category with the boys in the lead for wins, and there were two more matches to go, meaning that a tie was very much a possibility. The boys were beginning to worry. They had no idea that the girls would be so close.

It was time for Athrun's match with Ryoko, and the tension was on. Ryoko didn't even bother to wear her assigned armor, but instead chose her own personal garb for the battle. "Now Ryoko," Aeka began, "normally I'd encourage you to go easy on a human. But these boys are not human. They're monsters! Destroy them!"

"You don't have to tell me twice, princess!" Ryoko smiled eagerly as she entered the ring to meet Athrun. The two were standing face to face, quite ready to tear the other apart. "Kid, I'm gonna put my foot so far up your ass, you're gonna be tasting rubber for a week."

"Bring it on, bitch!" Athrun spat. They heard Jonny's signal to begin the match and neither wasted any time before their weapons were in a violent dance toward victory. Athrun had chosen to use his gladius, while Ryoko felt more comfortable with her own hands. After all, no human-forged blade could slice her flesh let alone intimidate her to submission.

Athrun took swings at her with his gladius but she would fly out of dodge everytime, which was beginning to anger him. "Grr! Stay! Still!" Athrun ground out in frustration.

"Umm, how about no?" Ryoko teased as she floated above him flying out of dodge once again as he made a swipe at her with his gladius. It was then that she noticed the bright orange ribbon-like piece float down toward Athrun, landing in the palm of his hand. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips. "Oh no!"

Athrun gazed down at the object in the palm of his hand and noticed that it was mostly just a piece of the flag as the rest of it was still hooked to Ryoko's belt. Unfortunately, what rested on her belt was not much to go on.

As his teammates watched from the bullpen, they were all confused as to what would happen now. "Uhh, is that it? I mean, does it count?" Kira question to anyone that knew the answer.

"It should. It's the flag so...yeah, it should." Spike truly didn't know what he was talking about.

The girls were just as nervous if not confused. "There's no way that that counts!" Faye protested. "You're supposed to detach the flag, not cut it off! Right?" As if on cue, Jonny's voice came over the loud speakers.

"After reviewing the rules, it turns out that cutting off your opponent's flag is indeed allowed. Winner for this match, Athrun!" Jonny announced as the crowd cheered for the Coordinator's win.

"WHAT?" Faye was furious. "Are you serious? He's lying, he's just saying that because he's obviously rooting for the boys!"

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) It's been painfully obvious since this competition started who Jonny's really rooting for, here! And I'm not just saying that because he's 'one of them.' *CLEARLY LYING***

The last and final match was honestly not a shock to anyone. Winry had just gotten out of the infirmary from a mild fainting spell but chose to go against Ed anyway for the sake of the team. She truly should've just stayed in the infirmary as she ended up doing more harm than good as her loss to the Full Metal Alchemist was one worthy of the history books.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) I honestly don't think that that was the best time to confess that she was in love with him. I mean, it was sweet and all, but really, really random! But ohmygod I totally knew it! Too bad Ed got so freaked out and beat her as a defense mechanism. Men really are babies.**

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Jonny stood in the center of the arena as he addressed the crowd, "I'm sure you've all had a good time watching these guys go at it, but now we must announce the winner for the day's events. And I'm sure you all figured it out by now that the final victors are the boys with a team score of 90,389. Ladies, your score 72,658. Chibi Wolf Hero recipient and winner of an iPad2 for their entire team, Sesshomaru for finishing in the quickest time! Congratulations, fellas!"

The boys celebrated with their trademark'OO-RAH' as the fell all over each other. They were going to dump a Gatorade cooler all over Sesshomaru, but the demon lord's death glares was a powerful repellent. So they settled for the leader of their inner circle, Yusuke who loved every moment of it.

When the arena had cleared of the spectators, it had come time for eliminations. Both inner circles stood beside Jonny outside of the stadium as they made the hard decision to part ways with their teammates.

"Boys, who have you decided to let go?" Jonny questioned Yusuke.

Yusuke released an quiet sigh. He, Hiei and Kira had discussed his loss that day pushing him to the bottom. Yusuke knew that they probably wouldn't last much longer, though he was hoping that he was wrong. "Kuwabara." Yusuke stated simply.

"Yeah, I know." Kuwabara glanced over at the scoreboard that reflected his spot on the bottom.

"Sorry." Yusuke shook his head.

"No it's cool. We're winning so..." Kuwabara smiled slightly. "I'm sure the shrimp is happy to see me go, though!"

"Yes." Hiei answered truthfully.

"Ouch." Kuwabara laughed, not that he was at all surprised by Hiei's response.

"Ladies," Jonny gestured toward the girls inner circle, "who will you be sending home tonight?"

"Yukina." Faye answered immediately, the announcement causing Hiei's eyes to widen nervously.

"Oh wow! Me and my sweet Yukina are going home together!" Kuwabara brightened. His excitement caused Hiei to glare in the direction of Faye and the rest of the inner circle, who could only shrug in response. After all, Yukina held the lowest score.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I know Hiei wasn't seriously going to get all pissy about us elminating his sister and sending her home with Kuwabara. He really needs to get over that and grow up. I mean she doesn't even know he's her brother yet! Everyone else does except her! It's SO bizarre! He's bizarre.**

Hiei while not pleased that Kuwabara would be going home with Yukina, he had insurance. He had planned for three demons to kidnap him at Tokyo, Narita airport and keep him captive until the competition was over. So all was well.

_**Back at Starfish...**_

Many of the boys were engaged in a heated argument with the girls team for the events that had transpired during the 'Frozen Solid' challenge. Automatically blamed for the incident were Faye, Bra, Cagalli, Botan, Yukina, Aeka and Ryoko. The first three for being the bitchiest, and the other four for being magical alien freaks that created the poison.

"Oh my BLEEPing...who even let them in the villa?" Faye complained.

"Faye don't try to change the subject!" Spike interjected.

Yusuke was mainly trying to get to the bottom of the issue. "All I wanna know is why the hell you broads even did the BLEEP in the first place! We hadn't done anything to you since the BLEEPing Laser Tag challenge!"

"After which, if I recall correctly," Yzak interrupted, "we had promised not to bother any of you and focus solely on defeating you in this challenge."

"Right!" Yusuke cosigned. "So I'm trying to figure out what was the BLEEPing point! What was it, that time of the month and you wanted to share the experience for whatever twisted reason?"

"You think they need a reason?" Trunks jumped in. "Bitches don't need reasons. Take it from my baby sister."

"Ohmygod, what does this have to do with me?" Bra shouted. She was already irritated for unrelated reasons.

"Oh please, Bra, this has your scheming written all over it." Trunks rolled his eyes.

"You know what I'm getting sick of automatically being blamed for everything that goes wrong in your life!" Bra turned the argument personal as she and Trunks went into sibling rivalry mode.

"Hello! 99.9% of the time, you ARE responsible! I think Mom has a BLEEPing chart that reflects this!" Trunks yelled.

"That's different! This isn't my mess, and I'm not about to be forced to clean it up! If you wanna be pissed at someone, be pissed at Lacus! She was the ring leader of it all!" Bra blabbed much to the boys' and Lacus' surprise.

"Bra!" Lacus protested. She couldn't believe that Bra sold her out as she did.

Bra, not suprisingly, held no sympathy for her betrayal. "Look whatever these bozos did, you should've just gotten over it instead of going for a revenge plot. No matter how fun and hilarious it was to execute." Bra stated bluntly. She then retreated to her and Pan's room, having had enough of the argument, leaving Lacus and the rest of their team alone with a shocked and dismayed boys' team.

"Lacus?" Kira couldn't believe it. He had never dreamed she would be capable of such a scheme, let alone the ring leader.

Botan, feeling guilty that Lacus was taking too much of the heat for the incident decided to step to the other girl's defense. "Listen, boys, don't blame Lacus for this. I'm the one that gave her the idea in the first place. The potion, the spell, it was all my idea! So if you want to be angry at someone, be angry with me, please!"

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) While I find it honorable that Botan was willing to fall on such a dangerous grenade, it still didn't change the fact that the girls were all in it together. And for that they had to pay.**

Lacus couldn't let Botan take the tongue lashing that the guys were preparing to unleash alone. So she tried to make a truce. "Gentlemen, I'm terribly sorry for my actions and the part I played in your publicized humiliation on national television..."

"Not. Helping." Faye gritted quietly.

"I know this is hardly an excuse, but when I found out about how you all made fun of me during my drama with Eiri Yuki, I just snapped." Lacus explained.

"Wait," Kira decided to butt in, "how'd you know about that?"

"Yeah really," Athrun started, "what were you, snooping?" The boys were beginning to get riled up at the suggestion. This caused Kurama to speak up, finally.

"No, no, that's not it at all." Kurama began. Everyone's eyes were on him now. Lacus was especially anxious. Was he about to do what she thought he was? "I was the one who told her."

"WHAT?" Yusuke exploded.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) So THAT'S who she was talking about! Wow! Just...wow! This actually explains a lot now. O_O**

"Why the BLEEP would you do that?" Spike added.

"Traitor!" Wufei accused.

"You had to have known that she would retaliate." Came Sesshomaru's dark voice.

"...Stray, male dogs, Kurama!" Kiba added angrily. "Do you have any idea how much therapy I'm going to need if I'm ever going to sleep..." Kiba continued with his rant that soon drowned in the rants of the rest of his team.

Kira was especially upset being that he felt Kurama had betrayed him in more ways than one. "You know, I _knew_ something was going on there! This is twice now that you've stabbed me in the back! TWICE! Do you realize that? Do you care?"

Hiei could do nothing but turn his back to his kitsune friend. If anyone felt the most betrayed, it was certainly him. Yusuke could tell that the boys were out of control, not that he could blame them. He felt betrayed by Kurama as well. "Alright, quiet, guys. Quiet. SHUT THE BLEEP UP!" Yusuke screamed, causing the girls villa to be filled with an uncomfortable silence. "Kurama." Yusuke said the other's name harshly.

"Yes, Yusuke." Kurama was prepared for whatever wrath his team had to bestow upon him.

"Being on a team is about trust, respect, and honor. But mostly trust. I and the rest of the team at this point feel like we can no longer trust you. As such, you are hereby exiled from White Shore villa. Please return there to pack your things and, as quickly as possible, get the hell out." Without sparing the redhead a second look, Yusuke turned his back to him. He truly was feeling betrayed. Everything that had happened to them during 'Frozen Solid' was technically Kurama's fault. He couldn't imagine what else Kurama had been sharing with Lacus regarding their team. The mere thought of it violently pissed him off. It was for the best that Kurama left.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) If he wants to help the girls out behind our backs, then he can be one of the only two members on their team with a BLEEP. The other, of course, being Ryoko.**

_**To be continued...**_


	22. Double Threat

A/N: Hello there! I hope you guys had a lovely 4th of July weekend. I know I did. Every year I'm out and about during that time enjoying the summer festivities and doping my poor dog up with Benedryl so that the neighborhood kids with the firecrackers don't freak him out. Little side note, always check with your vet before self-medicating your dog. 25mg is okay for mine, and it helps with his itchiness. Aaaand, I'm ranting. Thank you for reading and I'm glad that those of you who are keeping up with the story are enjoying it thus far. Yes, I'm dragging this out because A) It's easier for me to focus on writing in the summer when school is out as I don't have to work as much, and B) The story just has that summer feel to it, don't you agree? I find that the seasons truly do have an effect on my writing. I tried writing a chapter in the bland winter and not only was I blocked, but I honestly didn't like where it was heading. Okay, enough chit-chat! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters except for the ones that I own

Song Disclaimer: "Middle Finger" by Cobra Starship feat. Mac Miller

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 22: Double Threat**

_**0500 hours in White Shore...**_

Yusuke, Hiei, and Kira all sat gathered in the kitchen eatery of their villa trying to deliberate on what exactly to do about Kurama. As members of their team's Inner Circle, it only made sense that the heavy decisions and critical thinking be left to them. Also, the rest of the boys were still very much so asleep. They couldn't find it in their hearts to wake them, as they knew the construction crew would once again be getting a painfully early start on their villa. It would probably take a miracle to forgive Bra for her actions on that day.

The few of them that had been lodging with the girls decided to just rough it and sleep in the common area and game room. Having to put up with Bra and the girls was one thing, but even being in Kurama's presence after what he had done was currently not even an option.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys): We got up early so we could have some peace and quiet to think up a plan to deal with Kurama. To be honest, my plan would involve a Ballistics and Forensics unit, so I mostly kept my mouth shut seeing as both Yusuke and Hiei are friends with that ex-girlfriend stealing bastard.**

**MTV producer: Wait, if she's an ex-girlfriend, he couldn't have stolen-**

**Kira: SHUT-UP! I don't need your logic and mature reasoning! BLEEP your opinion! *BUTTHURT POUTING***

Yusuke gingerly sipped his coffee as he tried to come up with a plan that would benefit their team and grant Kurama the punishment he very much so deserved. Though exiling him to stay with the girls was probably more than enough punishment, he wanted to make sure to hit the fox where it hurt. Placing his cup down on the counter, he absently tapped its heated exterior with his fingers as the wheels continued to spin. The sound of Hiei's caustic tone broke him out of his thoughts.

"It's quite unreasonable to have him fully exiled from the team considering that he is one of our strongest members." Hiei stated with a hint of annoyance.

Yusuke nodded as he dipped a finger into the warm liquid of his coffee to test its warmth. "I agree. For the record though, that's exactly what pisses me off so hard about him. The fact that he's one of our strongest and I _thought_ smartest players is why he's the last guy I'd expect to default and betray us over a girl."

The allusion towards Kurama's association with Lacus caused Kira to slam his bagel onto his plate, his appetite suddenly spoiled. "You know what, I think we should eliminate him in the next challenge, because he clearly can't be trusted."

Kira's statement caused Hiei to roll his eyes. He was beyond transparent to the fire demon at the moment, and he found the other's dropping such a suggestion to be embarrassingly terrible. "What a foolish decision that would be. Were you not listening just now? We just stated that Kurama is a strong asset to our team. Your rationale for wanting him gone is for personal and trivial reasons. If you're unable to make decisions without involving your petty emotions, perhaps your dismissal from this Inner Circle is needed." Hiei spared the Ultimate Coordinator a challenging glare from the corner of his eye.

"What? That's ridiculous! Lacus has nothing to do with this!" Kira denied unconvincingly.

"The fact that you mentioned that girl's name, and I didn't, proves my point." Hiei added.

"But-"

"Oh be quiet." Hiei interrupted. "In case you were unaware, we're trying to figure out a way to discipline Kurama, not ourselves. Removing him from this team would put us at a disadvantage and is not an option. Now either you think of something more effective and useful, or say nothing."

Yusuke could only stifle a laugh at Hiei's abrasiveness towards Kira. He knew that it was mostly projection for his feeling the most betrayed by Kurama. It was a fact that Hiei's bitchiness was going to be at an all time high for a significant portion of the challenge from this point on. He had to remind himself to warn the others. Or not.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) For the majority of this competition, Hiei's been pretty tame. But this latest stunt that Kurama pulled has really put the little guy on edge. He's like a ticking time bomb right now. And while I'm more than excited to see him enact some delicious misplaced aggression on the girls, I don't think he's in the mood to be a team player or tolerate anymore of our bullBLEEP. *GULP***

Kira was irritated with Hiei's attitude. "Whoa, what's your prob-"

"Kir..." Yusuke gave the boy a swift kick under the table, stopping him mid-sentence. Gaining a questioning stare from him, the spirit detective could only widen his eyes and quickly shake his head, hoping desperately that the gesture translated to his teammate that the other boy really, really shouldn't finish his sentence.

"Something on your mind, Yamato?" Hiei narrowed his eyes towards Kira. The room then became uncomfortably silent as Hiei's stoney gaze remained locked upon Kira's form, causing the other to adopt a deer-in-headlights disposition.

Kira's eyes darted nervously between Yusuke and Hiei. The drastic difference in each of their eyes letting him know that challenging Hiei at that moment would be dumber than switching out Bra's hairspray for "Wal-Mart spawn" as she was wont to put it. Swallowing nothing but air, Kira lowered his eyes to stare at his bagel. "No. I was just...nevermind." He shrugged.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) You know, I never noticed before, but that guy is weirdly protective over Kurama. And I know I'm not the only one who see's this crap. I think some of the guys have some kind of bet going about it.**

_**A few hours later...**_

Most of the guys had been once again awakened to the serene ambience of the construction crew starting their work on the villa. They had hoped the worker bees would cancel that day being that the weather forecast predicted a scorching high of 95 degrees. Of course, though, that would only happen in a perfect world, and come 7am, there they were, hammering and drilling away. An image of Bra's face would always pop into their minds whenever their nerve-racking 'alarm clock' would go off. They had to get her back at some point for this. However, they had bigger fish to fry, considering that _all_ of the girls were currently on their BLEEP list.

Athrun sat on a lounge by the pool talking with his girlfriend, Cagalli. Once again, their relationship was at odds being that he felt she betrayed him, again, in favor of the competition. Again. "Cagalli, I don't wanna argue with you. So if we can just discuss this civilly, that's all I want."

"How is calling me a 'treacherous bitch' considered 'civil discussion?' In what ass-backwards universe is calling me a 'treacherous bitch' civil discussion?" Cagalli fumed.

"Cagalli," Athrun began evenly as he closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his cool, "I didn't call you a 'treacherous bitch.' I said that what you_ did_, is something that only a treacherous bitch would do."

"But that's the same thing." Cagalli folded her arms as she stood in front of him. Her body language gave off a vibe of defiance as she cocked one leg out. Subconsciously, Athrun remembered the movement as the universal signal from females that a verbal armada -no male ever sees coming- is about to be unleashed.

He was quickly becoming frustrated as he flailed his arms in the air for effect. "How the hell is that the same thing? In what ass-backwards universe is that the same thing?" Athrun mocked.

"Oh don't play stupid! We both know what you were implying with that little line, and you denying it is only pissing me off further!" Cagalli raised her voice a few decibels. Civil discussion was looking more and more like a foreign concept to the two star-crossed, lovers.

"Are you being serious right now? If anyone has the right to be pissed, Cagalli, it's me!" Now it was Athrun's turn to raise his voice. "Because of you and your little moody-ass teammates, we lost a challenge! Over something so stupid. And all because you guys just wanted to be a bunch of immature, whiny, bitches!"

"There it is again!" Cagalli yelled.

"There's WHAT, Cagalli?" Athrun matched her volume.

"You calling me a bitch! I come over here to apologize because I freaking felt bad and didn't want this to mess up our relationship, and instead I just get spat on!" Cagalli stepped closer to Athrun. Their volume caused many of the girls and boys to step outside and see what all of the commotion was about. Kira and Lacus were especially worried.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Okay, the last time these two fought, it was during a friendly game of pool. And it ended up with Cagalli using Athrun's head for target practice...with the 8 ball. Things got pretty violent after that, so I was really scared. Athrun was already upset about that prank so...yeah. *WORRIED***

"Hey, guys, come on," Kira decided that it was a good time to step in and mediate the fight before it escalated, "Cagalli, why don't you just go back to your villa? We all just kinda need time to cool off and-"

"No," Cagalli cut off her brother, "I'm sick of this! Everytime I try to be the bigger person, you throw my mistakes up in my face! What kind of boyfriend does that?"

"What the fBLEEP! What kind of GIRLFRIEND does a spell on her BOYFRIEND to give him fBLEEPing PMS?" Athrun stood to his feet then.

"Actually it was full-blown menstruation minus the actual blee-"

"OhMyGodEwShutUp!" Athrun and Kira both instinctively placed their hands over their ears so as not to have to endure the end of Cagalli's sentence.

"Ugh, whatever," Cagalli sighed, "my point is, I was trying to apologize and you totally disrespected me just now."

"You know what," Athrun chuckled wryly and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, turning his back to the small blond girl as if looking at her would only add to the problem, "it never ceases to amaze me how you manage to turn everything back on _you_. Everything is always, 'me, me, me.' 'Wah, my boyfriend's a Coordinator, and doesn't understand me.' 'Wah, I have all this money, fame and political responsibility.' 'Wah, my boobs are so small I can actually pass for a boy.'" Athrun quickly caught himself, realizing that his last mock complaint was truly an opinion that he had long kept silent and to himself.

**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) ...Oops. *GUILT-FACE OF A DUMBASS BOYFRIEND***

"Excuse me?" Cagalli's voice darkened.

Kira then raised his hands in the air in defeat. He knew better than to come between this ensuing onslaught. "Oh, I give up."

"Cagalli..." Athrun trailed, but was too late to formulate an apology as Cagalli, in a blind rage, summoned all of her strength, and pushed the pajama-clad boy into the nearby pool.

Lacus couldn't believe her friend's actions as she covered her mouth in disbelief at the display. "Cagalli!" She cried in a tone of disapproval.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) **ಠ**_**ಠ

"AssBLEEP." Cagalli snipped as she stormed off toward her villa, brushing past Lacus on the way. She didn't even bother to see if Athrun resurfaced.

"Cagalli, that was really unnecessary. They're already upset with us, and by you..." Kira could hear Lacus' voice trailing off as she followed Cagalli back into their villa. Part of him couldn't believe what she had done. Yet, there was another part of him that quite expected it. That was the part of him that was becoming more and more ashamed to call her his sister. As disheartening as it was to admit, slowly but surely, he found himself beginning to empathize with Trunks.

Whipping his head to the surface of the chlorine-fused waters, Athrun let out a few light coughs before fervently searching the pool area for his assailant. "Where the hell did she go?" He growled as he swam to the nearest ladder.

"She went back to her villa." Kira informed as he helped his friend out of the pool.

"I'm gonna kill 'er! Move outta my way, Kira! I'm serious, man, I've had it! We're done! I swear to God, man, we are fBLEEPing DONE!" Athrun raged as Kira tried to hold him back from approaching the girls villa. This drew the attention of Yusuke, Ed, and Spike who were watching the confrontation from the game room. The three decided to aid Kira in calming Athrun down.

"Dude, calm down, man!" Yusuke grabbed a hold of Athrun's drenched tank as he pulled the other boy back.

Athrun was furious as he attempted to squirm and wriggle out of Yusuke, Ed and Kira's grasp. "No man, fBLEEP that shBLEEP! I've HAD it!" He then stopped his struggling to yell toward Cagalli and Lacus' bedroom window. "You hear that? We're DONE! I am sick of YOU and your shBLEEP, Cagalli! All of this over some gBLEEPd damn competition and fifty thousand extra dollars that you don't even BLEEPING need, you selfish, insecure, neurotic, emasculating, BITCH!" Athrun's voice screeched as his emotions began to swell up.

Ed couldn't believe what he was seeing. All of this over getting pushed into a pool? It was insanity. "Christ, Athrun it's just pool water, not battery acid. You wanna take it down a notch? Here, have a towel." Ed tossed the blue-haired Coordinator a towel, who bitterly snatched it out of mid-air.

"I think it's the principle behind it." Spike reasoned as he guided Athrun back into their villa. "Come on, Zala. We're gonna get her back. I promise. We're gonna get 'em _all_ back. Keep it together." Spike placed a reassuring hand on Athrun's shoulder.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) How many fights is that now with those two? Three? Four? I dunno, all that shBLEEP starts to bleed together after a while. Sorry ladies. It's a guy thing.**

In Duo and Heero's room, the two decided not to peer in on the confusion that had been taking place downstairs by the pool. Besides, Duo had been much too invested in the phone conversation that he had been having for the past twenty or so minutes. Heero, instead, chose to occupy himself with _A Farewell to Arms_ by Ernest Hemingway. He had already completed the first book and was currently making his literary journey through the second, completely enamored with the main character's story of life as a soldier during times of war. This was, of course, for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately, whenever he would try to absorb himself into the world of Frederick Henry, Duo would interrupt his thoughts with comments from a phone conversation that was obviously turning sensuous and profoundly inappropriate.

"What, Hil?" Duo responded to the other party who had obviously mentioned Hilde. Heero, couldn't help but perk his ears at the mentioning of her name. "I dunno, she's been acting weird. And anyway I'm pretty pissed at her right now about an unrelated matter so, whatever." Duo shrugged as he turned over onto his back resting his hand on his abdomen lazily. "So when am I gonna get to see you again?" Duo's tone was suggestive as he let out a sultry chuckle.

The entire time, Heero could only try to block the other boy out, trying desperately to return to his book. He would absorb barely a paragraph before Duo would make yet another sleazy comment that reeked of innuendo and references to past activities that he had no desire to know about. Rolling his eyes, he made a final attempt to read, but could no longer stand it once Duo's phone conversation began to border on phone sex. Slamming his book closed, Heero gracefully excused himself from the room, leaving Duo alone to do something that he knew would require the _Lysol _and _Clorox_ treatment for their sleeping areas.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) The scars and afflictions of war have nothing on the detriments of having to room with a pervert. **

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

Lacus and Kurama sat in her and Cagalli's room engaged in an intense discussion regarding what had happened the previous day. Luckily, Cagalli had decided to stay downstairs to drown her woes and troubles with glasses upon glasses of _Captain Morgan _rum; the breakfast of champions. She also was uncomfortable around Kurama at the moment ever since their battle in the last challenge. So the two of them were granted some privacy.

Lacus was confused as to Kurama's actions and why he had jeopardized his relationship with his teammates just to defend her. After all, it's not as though it would stop whatever vendetta they were sure to carry out against her and her team. So there was no need to place himself in danger of what she was certain would be elimination. "I just don't understand, Kurama. You've practically guaranteed your elimination in this next challenge. Why would you do such a thing?"

A genuine smile spread across his lips at her sincerity. "Lacus, you have nothing to worry about in my regard. I'm quite certain that I am safe from elimination for the time being due to my valuability to the team. If anything, I'm simply exiled from the villa which, if I'm perfectly honest, is hardly that severe a punishment, considering how tedious it is to room with the lot of them."

Lacus' face softened briefly until she saw his expression falter. She watched as he caressed his chin musedly. "What is it?"

"Oh nothing. It's just that, I'm sure they're aware of my distaste toward our sharing quarters. This could only mean that they will be seeking alternative methods of vengeful retaliation against me." Kurama furrowed his brow at the thought. He noticed the look of worry in Lacus' eyes and quickly straightened. "It doesn't matter. I've faced much more formidable opposition in my past. I'm not in the least concerned with the childish antics of a group of scorned young boys with a chip on their shoulders."

Lacus tensed up slightly at the mentioning of him facing 'formidable opposition.' Her memory flashed to his battle with Cagalli and how he coldly defeated the other girl by way of mild asphyxiation. He held no remorse and did it with such ease and expert skill that she suddenly felt the urge to leave the room. However, she chose to stay. She wanted to know him. She _had_ to know him. She had to know what exactly she was dealing with. She fiddled anxiously with the soft fabric of the duvet on her bed, averting her gaze from his as she did so. "Kurama..."

"You want an explanation for my behavior during my match with Cagalli." Kurama seemed to read her mind. Something else that she made note to question him about.

Releasing a sigh, she just went for it. "I saw...your eyes turned amber. Like Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's. I _know_ that they did. I'm not crazy. What _are_ you? I mean, I knew you were _special_. But I assumed you were special and _human_. But now, I'm not so sure. And..." Lacus couldn't finish her thought. She didn't want to tell him the truth just yet. She didn't want to tell him that she was afraid. Regardless of all of the other creatures that existed on both of their teams, there was something just so frightening about Kurama. She honestly felt bad for feeling that way, but she was unsure if her fear was actually warranted.

"Lacus," Kurama began as he stood up from Cagalli's bed to sit beside her, his eyes burning into the underwater wall decor straight ahead, "it's a very long, dark, and evil story."

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) 'A very long, dark, and evil story.' Isn't it always with the pretty, charming, mysterious ones? I can't win. *SIGH***

Meanwhile Hilde sat in her room along with Ryoko and Bra, the three of them discussing whether or not to start up an alliance that would take down the Inner Circle. "Middle Finger" by Cobra Starship ft. Mac Miller fittingly flowed through the speakers while they plotted and schemed against their team leaders. As they all perceived the current Inner Circle members to be too weak and nice -excluding Faye of course- they felt that now was the time to have them stripped of their authority over eliminations and flushed out, cutting their positions right from under them so that they could take their place. Also, Hilde wasn't pleased that she was pushed out of her Inner Circle position. Though Pan proved time and again to not be one to take any of Faye's domineering crap, she seemed to be distracted lately for unknown reasons. So, in their eyes, demotions were definitely in order.

"If _I_ were still in the Inner Circle, there's _no way_ I would've let them eliminate Julia and keep freaking Flay around. Especially when they had a valid reason to get rid of her! I would've _never _let that shBLEEP fly!" Hilde griped as she stood in her mirror styling her hair in a feminine faux hawk.

Bra was especially furious considering how much she and Flay didn't get along. "Right! Like, what was their logic behind that when they know that not only does she have the lowest score and is basically useless, but no one even likes her? It BLEEPing pisses me off."

Ryoko laughed as she slid on a pair of white jean shorts and a lavender tank top. "Hon, _everything_ pisses you off."

"No, but this is like REALLY pissing me off. Not just because I can't stand Flay, but come on, I know I'm not the only one that thinks the others are _way_ too damn sensitive and concentrate too much on picking these stupid little fights and plots against the boys. Maybe _then_ we wouldn't be so far behind! It's like, what the hell, ya know? It's a COM-PE-TI-TION! Why not just channel all that hate and revenge in a challenge when it's actually, I dunno, _useful_ maybe?" Bra stated as if to say 'duh' as she rested her chin on her knee, blowing on her toes to dry the freshly applied white polish. "Also, the little petty fights only serve to piss the guys off further anyway, so what's the point?"

"I just wanna cut the drama and concentrate on winning the competition." Hilde sighed as she slid on her khaki shorts and blue spaghetti-strap tank.

Bra couldn't agree more. "Exactly! You know, the main reason I brush most of our team off is because I truly just can't take them seriously anymore."

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) Yes. It's also because you're a massive bitch.**

"Hil, how'd you even lose your spot in the Inner Circle in the first place? _When_ did you lose your spot? I mean, I know how I lost mine, but I thought you were still in it." Ryoko scratched her head.

"It was total bullBLEEP." Hilde started as she searched her room for her blue and white _Skechers GOruns_. "MTV production decided that once we got down to a certain number of players that the Inner Circles had to be 'trimmed down' from four members to three." Hilde made air-quotes at the mentioning of 'trimmed down,' indicating production's exact words.

Bra couldn't believe it. "You're kidding."

"I kid you not. That was their _exact_ explanation. So because I had the lowest score in the Inner Circle, I got kicked out. Technically, if they were going by the _original_ rules, I would still be in the Inner Circle right now." Hilde made an annoyed gesture with her hands before bending down to grab her shoes from under what used to be Relena's bed.

"Wow." Ryoko sighed. "So that's probably what happened to Sesshomaru, too." The space pirate mused. "'Cause right now, the boys Inner Circle only has Yusuke, Kira and Hiei."

Bra rolled her eyes at the mentioning of Sesshomaru's name. "I honestly don't think he cares." She nonchalantly returned her attention back to her toenails.

"Actually," Ryoko shook her head in confutation, "I think he does. I know this sounds weird but he's been more aloof than usual, don't you think?"

"That's because I blasted him into a swamp in The Glades." Bra let out a boastful laugh. "That extra _aloofness_ is wounded pride, girlfriend."

"Umm," Hilde sat down on the bed beside Bra, "sweetie, he decapitated a bear."

"Yeah, about that," Bra brightened, "apparently MTV is in a legal battle with the Halifax Humane Society. I think that really rubbed them the wrong way. Which is weird, actual gladiators used to kill their animal opponents anyway."

"Uhh yeah," Hilde protested, "in like the freaking 3rd century!"

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I'm betting MTV is either gonna remove Sesshomaru to cover their own ass, or they're gonna shut down this entire competition. But considering that a certain writer just loooooves creating this madness from their demented mind so much, I'm leaning more towards Sesshomaru's removal. (A/N: This story ain't going anywhere. Sesshomaru however, weeeell...XD)**

"Whatever." Bra dismissed the boring stuff and went straight back to the juicy center. "Alright, we're taking down the Inner Circle. And I've got the perfect weapon that'll do just that."

"What?" Hilde and Ryoko eagerly pressed.

An evil smirk found its way upon Bra's glossed lips. This was never a good sign. "The boys."

There was an odd silence before the sound of the house's _Nokia_ cell phone went off downstairs, alerting everyone of their next challenge.

_**14th Challenge: Double Threat**_

The challengers were all transported to a large piece of land covered with tall trees and plenty of grass. In the distance they could see what appeared to be a golf course as a few carts parked along the green, their occupants sipping various drinks to try and fend off the rising heat. Jonny, in his trademark Hawaiian print shirt and khaki shorts, waved them all down as they approached his location where he stood with Brad and another assistant. Sachiya was still seemingly missing in action. Though as irritated as Hiei was at the moment, this wasn't exactly a bad thing.

"Good afternoon!" Jonny greeted with a smile. "Welcome to Tuscawilla Park. I hope you've all recovered from yesterday's challenge, because today, you're gonna need all the energy you can get."

"Excuse me." Keiko raised her hand shyly.

"Yes, Keiko." Jonny answered.

"You guys are aware that it is..." Keiko trailed as she viewed her cell phone screen, waiting for the information to load. "...Exactly 97 degrees outside right now and sunny, right?"

"We are. And while we appreciate and encourage your apparent interest in meteorology, we really don't care about the weather." Jonny stated with a hint of jovial sarcasm, though he couldn't ignore the beads of sweat that collected on his forehead, chest, and back. It truly was hotter than it was during the Gladiator challenge, and the humidity seemed to work for the Devil.

"I'm just saying, because physical exertion-"

"Today's challenge will entail both teams pairing up against each other!" Jonny interrupted and proceeded to explain the challenge.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Well! That was just RUDE! I am highly offended and disgruntled! *HIGHLY OFFENDED AND DISGRUNTLED RAGE FACE***

"We here at MTV are suckers for the classics. But of course, you know that by now." Jonny added with a teasing smile. "Anyway, today you race...four at a time." Jonny was slightly amused at the looks of immense confusion that generated upon the faces of the challengers. "Yep, today's challenge is non-other than a three legged obstacle course race!"

Faye couldn't help but roll her eyes at the mediocrity. "Oh COME on. What the hell is this? Family Fun Day with the Bradys?"

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) They're just not even gonna try to hide that they've run out of ideas at this point, are they?**

"I wouldn't criticize just yet." Jonny pointed. "You've all suspected since the beginning of this competition, that the producers hate you."

"Nooo." Android 18 added with dry sarcasm.

"Well guys, I'm here to tell you that that is definitely TRUE." Jonny chuckled. "The MTV producers can't stand Anime, and have a reserved disdain for your characters specifically. So, in lieu of that, this not just a three legged obstacle course race. It's a three legged obstacle DEATH course race."

"Son of a bitch." Spike growled lowly.

"Your first obstacle requires that you trampoline over a log...a burning log. Yes we know it's 97 degrees outside and that's why this is so effing perfect." Jonny smiled widely.

Serena, along with plenty others on her team were mortified. "But WHY?"

"Why?" Jonny arched an eyebrow. "Well, they had a feeling you'd ask that so they wrote a letter...sort of." Jonny then pulled out a piece of paper that was the aforementioned letter from production. "It reads, and I quote, _'In case they ask why_,'" Jonny then turned the paper over, "_'Because BLEEP you, that's why.' _Wow." Jonny could only shake his head at production's blatant pompous douchiness.

"Unbelievable." Yzak stated blandly.

Jonny cleared his throat, and continued to further explain the challenge. "Ahem, after the uhh, log o' flames, you are to follow the red arrows into the woodland area deep toward the trees. You will then be greeted by a zip line team named _Zoom Air_ who will prepare you both to zip line over a small body of water...infested with alligators?" Jonny himself couldn't believe what he was reading. He knew the producers hated the challengers. He had no idea that hatred was sauteed in violent rage and loathing.

"Wait," Dearka interjected, "I heard there was supposedly some sort of petition being signed to disallow zip lining in this park."

"Yeah about that," Jonny noted, "MTV has another letter." Jonny then pulled out another piece of paper and unfolded it from its enclosure. "It reads...and I again, quote _'Regarding the petition and protests against zip lining in Tuscawilla Park, we've compiled a Haiku in response...BLEEP you. We're MTV. We do what we want.'_" Jonny widened his eyes at their boldness.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Is **_**nothing**_** sacred to them? Nevermind, forgot who we were dealing with here.**

"Umm," Jonny shook it off, "okay, if and when you make it over the 'reptile creek' zip line, you will then follow the red arrows that will take you to a wall. The wall has foot pedals and grooves for leverage, but some are booby trapped to be loose and you will fall if you hit them." Jonny shrugged as that wasn't so bad, until he continued to the next line. "Others are booby trapped to...explode? Holy BLEEP."

"This isn't fun for me anymore." Ed groaned curtly.

"When the hell has this competition ever been _fun_, Ed?" Duo grumbled.

Jonny then proceeded to finish the explanation. "Once you've made it over the wall, _if_ you make it, you will then run to the finish line. The team that makes it to the finish line first wins 1000 points to their team score and 150 points to their personal scores. Second place wins 500 points to their team score and 75 points to their personal scores. There is a ten minute time limit for this challenge. If you exceed this time, you DQ and get no points. One major rule for this challenge in particular, there is absolutely NO flying allowed for those with the ability to do so." Jonny had to take a breath after reading off the challenge rules.

"DAMN it!" The sounds of protests from Trunks, Android 17, Android 18, Pan, Bra, and Ryoko could be heard amongst the crowd of competitors. They surmised that the producers truly wanted this challenge to be challenging.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) Well, there goes my plan to 'wing it!' *CORNY LAUGH* Get it? **_**Wing **_**it? *AWKWARD LAUGH***

**MTV Producer: ... Your sad excuses for wit and humor give me second hand embarrassment.**

**Trunks: (;_;)**

"Brad, read off the terms." Jonny instructed.

"Today's winners, yes there will be two, will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero and this team prize." Brad unveiled a small box with a picture of an elaborate coffee maker on its front. "A _Tassimo Single Serve Beverage System_ with fully automatic brewing system that supports a full range of drinks. The maker comes with an intelligent barcode recognition system that prepares each drink-"

"Hold the hell on!" Ryoko blurted. "We're doing all the BLEEP for a damn coffee maker!"

"I don't even drink coffee." Kagome sighed in disappointment.

"I don't even know what coffee is." Sango replied flatly.

"Likewise." Miroku concurred. "At least I didn't until I started associating with these fine gentlemen." He gestured toward his teammates.

Brad was getting annoyed by their ungrateful attitude. Nevermind the fact that they were about to face certain death. "It's not like it's your final prize, jeez."

"Okay!" Jonny began. "Now to get you guys paired off. Listen up, because we gotta get through this. One of you from each team will have to go through this twice since there are an uneven number of players on each team." He paused to give them time to suck their teeth and groan in dismay. "Alright, for the boys we have: Yusuke and Kurama, Hiei and Kiba, Android 17 and Trunks, Heero and Duo, Wufei and Kira, Athrun and Dearka, Yzak and Inuyasha, Miroku and Koga, Sesshomaru and Spike, Ed and Yusuke again."

"Ahh, I had a feeling I'd be the poor bastard that would have to do this BLEEP twice." Yusuke laughed with a mixture of agitation and mild amusement.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I genuinely believe that the producers hate me the most.**

**MTV producer: You're not wrong.**

**Yusuke: I **_**knew**_** it! FBLEEPers! That's why your network sucks now.**

**MTV producer: Sitting. Right. Here.**

**Yusuke: Don't. BLEEPing. Care.**

"Alright, ladies!" Jonny turned his attention toward the girls team. "Your pairings are as follows: Keiko and Botan, Blue and Cheza, Bra and Pan, Android 18 and Hilde, Lacus and Cagalli, Miriallia and Flay, Kagome and Sango, Faye and Winry, Aeka and Ryoko, and Serena and Keiko again."

"Uggggggghhhhhoooooohhhh!" Keiko threw her head back, letting out a loud snarl of exasperation at the prospect of her having to run through the obstacle course twice as well.

Serena cringed at the thought of being Keiko's second partner as she could only imagine how pleasant the other girl would be during her turn to run through. "Sorry, Keiko." Serena muttered passively.

"Ohmygod, whatever!" Keiko whimpered as she irately palmed her face, muffling her moans of indignance. She then wearily slid her hands down her cheeks, giving her countenance the unsightly appearance of sagging, melting skin in the process.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) Ohh I could tell that we were gonna have a ball, Keiko and me. Really, I couldn't wait. *SARCASM***

"Alright gents if you'll follow Brad and ladies you follow his partner Nicole over there, they'll both get you guys all suited up and ready to go." Jonny instructed.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) Hey, at least we got helmets, gloves, elbow and knee-pads. *SHRUGS***

The challengers were prepped and ready to stare death in the face. First up were Yusuke and Kurama vs. Keiko and Botan. It was guaranteed to be an intense race, considering the underlying drama that currently existed within the ranks.

Yusuke and Kurama stood at the starting line, tied at the base of their thighs and mid-calves. Kurama could sense the tension that resided in his teammate as the other failed to look at or even speak to him. He wanted so much to offer words of encouragement, but he decided that silence was probably a better choice so as not to risk making matters worse.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I knew that I was the last member of our team that Yusuke wanted to be paired with, so I tried to maintain humility and just focus on winning. Though I must say, if there was ever a time to exercise clear and concise communication, that challenge was most certainly it.**

"Look at them." Keiko whispered to Botan as the two of them waited for Jonny to sound his horn.

"I know." Botan conceded with a hint of shock in her voice. Her eyes widened at Yusuke's blatant, cold disregard for Kurama's presence.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Yusuke was giving _Kurama_ the cold shoulder." Keiko added.

"I'll say. He must be pretty upset with him. They _all_ are. I actually feel a little bad for him." Botan released a sympathetic sigh.

Just then, Jonny sounded his horn and all four challengers took off toward their first obstacle, the fiery log.

"Yusuke!" Kurama panted as he ran in-step with Yusuke's strides. "I don't mean...to impose! But we really should, at the very least, communicate when-"

"Shut-up Kurama." Yusuke caustically interrupted Kurama's sentence as the two drew closer to large fiery log. They could feel the extra heat emanating off of its burning exterior, and it wasn't until they got close that they realized the 'log' was synthetic. Ceramic to be exact. The flames were coming from an oven-like, gas powered, device from the inside. These flames could go on forever. "Damn." Yusuke griped under his breath. The two of them grew closer and he could hear Keiko and Botan struggling to catch up. Just as he and Kurama reached the trampoline...

"YUSUKE!" Kurama shouted his friend and teammate's name in a panic, until he felt the other boy grab him by the waist, 'carrying' him onto the trampoline and over the raging flames of the log. It was then that he figured it out. Yusuke was going to treat him as though he were nothing more than dead weight in the challenge. As far as Yusuke was concerned, the spirit detective was running that obstacle course alone. Kurama was nothing more than excess baggage.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I suppose I could've been hurt by Yusuke's actions once I realized what exactly he had planned to do. But I knew that he was still very much upset with me, and that his feelings were not genuine. Deep down, he still considered me to be his friend. And I him.**

Yusuke and 'his baggage' gained a significant distance from Keiko and Botan as they finished the zip line over 'reptile creek' while the girls had just finished making it over the log. Botan had received a minor burn on her thigh, which had slowed them down exponentially.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) It's times like this that make me violent.**

"Come on Botan! Forget about your stupid thigh! We're halfway there!" Keiko yelled.

"Oh! What does it matter? We can't even see them anymore! They've probably already crossed the finish line!" It was then that the two girls heard a loud explosion followed by a couple of manly yelps and then a blunt thud. From this they concluded that the boys had made it to the last obstacle, yet unfortunately caught one of the booby traps. "Okay, I suppose we still have time! Let's MOVE! Do it Keiko!" Botan was hyped up once more.

"YEAH!" Keiko was pumped as the two girls zip lined across 'reptile creek,' trying their best to ignore the sight of a pair of reptilian eyes peering ominously from the surface of the dark waters.

As the two girls closed the gap between Yusuke and Kurama, the spirit detective was in the process of briefly nursing a minor injury from the small explosive used on the wall. "ShBLEEP! FBLEEP! DAMN it!" Yusuke ground out as he palmed his knee which had been stung by the small explosive. Looking behind him, he noticed as Keiko and Botan were gaining on them. "Ah..." Grabbing a hold of Kurama's waist, yet again, Yusuke made quick work of the wall, setting off yet another explosive, but ignoring it as he used all of his strength to hop over the wall and head for the finish line. At least he _thought_ it was _only_ his strength.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) You didn't honestly think that I would sit back and allow myself to be carried around like a sack of soiled laundry to a human, did you? Yoko would never forgive me. *ROLLS EYES***

Finally reaching their goal, the boys crossed the finish line earning 1000 points for their team and yet another victory for the Y-chromosome brigade.

"ALRIGHT!" Spike and the rest of the boys team cheered and watched as Yusuke hastily unfastened himself from Kurama. He didn't even spare the red-head a glance as he trotted over to his teammates to celebrate their win. It was as if Kurama wasn't even there.

The kitsune could do nothing but stare at their displays of affection and triumphant praise from the distance. The feeling of isolation becoming more evident as even Hiei appeared to be enjoying the boisterous acts of celebratory bliss. "I see. It appears that they _too_ have an adoration for the classics." Kurama noted that their punishment for him would be the ultimate silent treatment; a total disregard of one's existence. He shrugged as he walked off away from the festivities, kneeling under a tree next to one of the coolers. Grabbing a _Monster Tour Water_ from its confines, he lifted the aluminum pin, the soft hiss from the action being the only thing that acknowledged his solitary presence.

**(*Insert sad, emo, violin score here...basically anything by Philip Glass, tbqh*)**

Lacus watched as Kurama sat alone away from everyone else. Part of her wanted to go over and speak to him, and make sure that he was alright. However, she knew that it would only add insult to injury as she was the very reason they had shunned him in the first place. Besides, after their conversation earlier, she wasn't sure how comfortable she could be around Kurama anymore, especially alone.

_**2 hours earlier...**_

"...So you see, I am mostly human only with the _special abilities_ of my demon fox spirit, Yoko." Kurama had just finished telling his life story to Lacus. He placed it all on the table. No secrets. Though he was usually reserved about his past and himself in general, he felt that he could and should be open with her. He also sensed her fear and wanted so much to quell her anxieties. He wanted her to feel safe around him as he appreciated the friendship that they had built and the special intimacy that resided within that new-found bond. Though his exterior was calm, he truly was nervous as he awaited her response.

Lacus stared at the ground pensively as she nibbled on her lower lip. She couldn't look at him just yet. There was just so much to absorb. She had wondered how he could keep all of that from her, considering how much time they had spent talking and simply enjoying one another's company. She'd also be lying if she said she hadn't developed a slight crush on the fox, but it was to be expected. Now she didn't know what to think, or what she was feeling. "So, you...Yoko...you..." She stumbled over her words disconcertingly. She couldn't gather her thoughts. "...Took lives and _enjoyed _it." It was more of a statement than a question. It was an affirmation of what she had just learned about someone she had considered to be a good friend.

"Do you want me to go?" Kurama sighed inaudibly. He figured that he needed to give her some space and time to process. As much as it pained him when she didn't answer and only averted her gaze, he knew that it was only fair. He then rose to his feet, and soddenly exited her room. He had hoped that she would try to stop his departure, but he wasn't at all surprised when she didn't.

_**Back to the present...**_

Lacus could only imagine how abandoned Kurama was feeling at the moment, especially since she had been so despondent with him that morning. He had opened himself up completely to her, told her the darkest most shameful secrets of his evil past about what or rather _who_ he really was, and she just completely shut down. "I'm sorry." She whispered solemnly.

Her deep, emotional, tear jerking reverie, had distracted her from the challenge as she heard Jonny's horn go off. She had thought that Hiei and Kiba were about to face Blue and Cheza, but she was shocked to see that their race had actually ended. Hiei and Kiba had left Blue and Cheza quite literally in the dust, Hiei having adopted Yusuke's method of 'carrying his partner.' Truly, he had to anyway. After all, Kiba was a wolf. It's not like he could've been much help.

**Kiba: Wolf's Rain (Guys) I'm a little insulted at Hiei's insistance on treating me like some pet on a damn leash during the challenge. You know, I could've done a lot to contribute! Instead he just tucked me under his arm like I was a BLEEPing rescue case! He even had the nerve to pat me on the head at the end, the condescending assBLEEP! *SQUASHED EGO***

**MTV Producer: Aww, but it was so cute, though! (^_^)**

**Kiba: Meh, go BLEEP yourself!**

Bra was not at all amused by Blue and Cheza's loss to Hiei and Kiba. "Blue. What the hell was that?" Bra grumbled to the female wolf.

"That, Bra, was my poor, tired ass trying to guide a blind girl through a damn death trap, OK? Now lay the hell off, I'm not in the mood for your shBLEEP right now!" Blue stormed off in her human guise as she guided Cheza near the coolers for fresh water and ice. "Come on Cheza."

"This One is thirsty." Cheza exclaimed calmly.

"I-know, Cheza." Blue sighed.

"This One has a sore bottom." Cheza then idly place her hands on her butt, rubbing the affected area.

"Courtesy of the flaming log, Cheza. Now let's go get you some ice while I go and bang my head repeatedly against a tree."

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) That marked the second loss for me, to Kiba, of all people even, and it really, REALLY messed up my score. I mean REALLY messed it up. Because we effing DQed out there. **

Bra and Pan were determined not to screw up as their other teammates had done. So Bra made sure that the two of them were on their A-game for their race against Android 17 and Trunks. "Pan. Pan!" Bra snapped her finger in front of the shorter girl's face to gain her attention.

"Y-yeah!" Pan jolted.

"What is up with you lately? It's like your focus is off or something! Will you effing get it together, please?" Bra demanded.

Pan rolled her eyes at Bra's abrasive tone. "Well, since you said 'please' and all, I guess I hafta!"

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) I don't know what she's talking about. My focus is hardly off.**

**MTV producer: Pan, that's just a regular closet, the confessional is over here.**

**Pan: (O_o') ... *WALKS OVER TO ACTUAL CONFESSIONAL***

**Ahem, yeah I don't know what she's talking about. My focus is hardly off. *AWKWARD SAUCE***

"Umm," Trunks called over toward his opponents as he and Android 17 stood tied together by their legs at the starting line, "you guys don't actually think you're gonna _win_ do you? I mean, if you do, that's cute, but highly unlikely. Our power levels combined make yours look like something more suitable for a nursery. Just sayin.'"

Bra huffed at her brother's arrogance. "Trunks, shut-up! You're just bitter!"

"Bitter about _what_? We've been winning so far, sis. So no idea what you're on about, there." Trunks dismissed her accusation.

"No, _you're_ just bitter because I'm Daddy's favorite!" Bra stuck her tongue out at her older brother, generating a hearty snort from the elder half-Saiyan.

"Oh now I _know_ she's terrified." Trunks whispered to Android 17 who chuckled lowly.

"Playing the sibling rivalry card as a distraction." Android 17 shook his head. "Eighteen used to try that constantly while sparring. It never. Works."

"Exactly, which is why her little chicken legs are shakin' in her _Chanel_ sneakers right now." Trunks couldn't contain his giggles along with Android 17. Their exchange caught Bra's attention, and it only made her angrier.

"Are they laughing at...they're laughing at me! Pan!" Bra nudged her partner in the ribs, a little too hard.

"OW! What the hell is wrong with you?" Pan fussed at the other girl as she palmed her aching ribs.

"Look at that sh...Pan they're laughing at me! I don't like it! He _always_ does this!" Bra wailed.

"Ugghh, here we go." Pan brought her hand to her face restlessly, as a long-standing issue that Bra had with her elder brother was about to rear its ugly, 16 year old head.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Every single time I bring it up, he just blows me off! He **_**knows**_** I'm Daddy's favorite, and he never admits it! He treats me like I'm some delusional, psycho and that it's all in my head. Yet and still Daddy gives me _everything_ I want, _exactly_ how I want, _wheneve_r I BLEEPing want it!**

"I AM Daddy's favorite, Trunks! You just can't admit it because you're jealous! I get everything I want, and you can't handle it!" Bra spat, her tone sounding much like a baby who skipped its nap.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, whatever Bra. That's why you have that boring ass CEO position at Capsule Corps. now, right? Because it's _exactly_ what you wanted, right?" Trunks rolled his eyes and was thankful once he heard Jonny blow his horn. "Damn, FINALLY!" Without a second thought, Trunks and Android 17 took off in a flash toward the first obstacle leaving Bra and Pan behind.

"Ugh, how dare-"

"Bra! Shut the hell up and MOVE! DAMN!" Pan bellowed in frustration as she and her partner zoomed toward the first obstacle, gaining on the heels of their opponents.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Grrr, why won't she just freaking get counseling already! My GAAAAAAWD! *RAGE FACE***

"That CEO position is MOM'S fault! If it were up to Daddy, I would've gotten my ranch," Bra yelled out to Trunks as she and Pan raced behind the two of them toward the zip lines. Pan was beginning to grow so irritated that she was tempted to turn the girl loose the moment they were dangling over 'reptile creek.' "my private jet, Zac Efron, and all of it without your stupid old job's responsibilities!"

"See!" Trunks yelled back as he and Android 17 sped toward the final obstacle. The girls were close on their heals, but their speed and strength was no match for the double threat that was Android 17 and Trunks combined. "That's your problem, sis! You want all the rewards in life," Trunks and 17 stepped on a booby trapped foot groove, though the explosion hardly made either of them flinch as they used the groove for leverage to propel themselves into the air with ease, landing gracefully on the other side of the wall, "but none of the hard work that comes _with_ it!" Trunks yelled as he and 17 zipped across the finish line as Bra and Pan just landed on the other side of the wall. "And that, dear baby sister, is why you lose at everything you do."

The boys team surrounded Trunks and Android 17, chanting their signature 'OO-RAH' cheer welcoming yet another victorious win with open arms.

"FBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" Bra screamed as she and Pan finally crossed the finish line. Her brother's words only served to add fuel to her internal fire.

Pan couldn't wait to untie herself from the raging psychotic that was currently Bra Briefs. The blue-haired half-Saiyan was panting with fury as she clenched her fists to her sides, overwhelmed with disgust as she watched the boys rejoice in her defeat.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) This is UNACCEPTABLE! *INCURABLE LEVELS OF BUTTHURT***

Hilde made an attempt to come up behind the girl and calm her down. An angry Bra made for an angry girls team. That's the way things operated around those parts since the beginning. "Bra, it's okay. Calm down, hon. It's not over, this is one chall-"

"NO! Don't FBLEEPING touch me! NO ONE BLEEPing talk to me! Leave me alone!" Bra announced as she exited the game site and made her way back toward the transportation vans.

"Puh, works for me." Inuyasha joked toward his partner, Yzak who smirked as he watched Bra make her rather dramatic exit from the challenge site.

Jonny noticed that she was planning to leave the site, which was prohibited until the challenge and eliminations were complete. "W-well, Bra...Bra, y-you can't leave-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE Jonny! I MEAN it!" Bra's high pitched voice was thickly laced with a warning tone.

Hilde knew not to provoke the girl and went to stand in front of their host, shaking her head in strong opposition and holding her hands up to signify that everyone should just move on with the challenge. "J-just leave her alone. Seriously. Just...she'll be fine. Let her cool off."

Faye couldn't agree more. "Yeah, let's just...let her be. Her race is done, she doesn't need to be here. Next racers! Let's go!" Faye clapped her hands as if to create a distraction.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) We weren't about to ignite that flame. Everyone knows how she gets when she's pissed, and I personally do NOT have health insurance.**

Jonny spared his assistant Brad a confused gaze generating a shrug from the blonde surfer. The host could only take her teammates' word for it as he proceeded with the challenge calling for Heero, Duo, Android 18, and Hilde. "Alright, I guess we're moving on. Next racers, line up!"

The challenge had gone quite depressingly awful for the girls as after Android 18 and Hilde's race against Heero and Duo, they were the only win for the entire day. The boys ended up winning the challenge by a massacre 9-1 as opposed to the girls 1-9. If it hadn't been for Android 18, truly, the boys could've easily run away that day with a perfect 10-0 score. Such would've been absolutely devastating, yet amazingly karmic considering what had transpired during 'Frozen Solid.'

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) We couldn't believe it. My and Faye's race against Miroku and Koga was a total slaughter. I don't know what the hell jewel shards are, but according to Kagome, apparently they turn Koga into a freaking tornado or something! And I am_ not_ exaggerating here! I have never been so humiliated in my life! And yes, I am counting the time that I confessed my feelings to Ed during Gladiator in front of thousands and thousands of people. *MUSING PAUSE* Yeah, we're definitely gonna have to talk about that, me and him.**

The challenge ended with the boys having a final score of 99,389 and the girls trailing with 78,158. Koga and Miroku ended up winning the Chibi Wolf Hero and the team prize. What two Japanese natives from the Feudal Era would do with a freaking coffee maker, no one knew. But they were sure it was going to be great, because they were the boys, no the MEN, and in their eyes...they were BLEEPing awesome.

During eliminations, the boys ended up having to send Kiba home, and the girls Cheza. For the time being, it appeared that the girls' hopes of coming even remotely close to winning this competition were once again bleak and slim. Somehow, in the back of their minds they knew that they had no one but themselves to blame. Vendettas. They always bite you in the ass eventually. Perhaps maybe they had learned their lesson. Or maybe the boys weren't quite done with them as of yet.

_**Back at White Shore...**_

The boys all gathered in the common area for a house meeting with the primary order of business being a final decision on what to do with Kurama. There were many opinions thrown out from execution to flat out just asking the producers to send him home. Not one of them had offered forgiveness.

"What if we cut his hair in his sleep?" Dearka raised.

Duo released a underwhelmed groan. "Why are all of your hazing suggestions so lame?"

"Because," Yzak interjected, "he only knows how to hurt girls' feelings." The silver-haired Coordinator threw a couch pillow at his roommate who caught it with ease.

"Whatever. You can't think of anything either, so shut-up." Dearka amicably threw the pillow back just missing the other's head.

"Ah!" Spike snapped his fingers as an ingenious idea came to him. "I got it!" He paused until he was certain that everyone's attention was focused on him. "How about, we make him stay at the girls villa until we're no longer pissed at him?"

"Uhh," Ed furrowed his brow, "correct me if I'm wrong but, aren't we doing that already?"

Spike could only blink in confusion until he realized that that was exactly what they were doing. "Oh. Right." They all sighed in frustration.

"Grr, why the hell is this so difficult?" Inuyasha grumbled as he folded his arms.

Hiei finally decided to offer his peace. "It's difficult because it's Kurama. It takes much more than petty, weightless expulsions from living quarters, and ignoring of his very existence. You may see Shuichi Minamino. But never forget that you are truly dealing with the powerful demon Yoko Kurama." Hiei explained.

"Sooo, what are you saying?" Athrun pressed.

"I'm saying that your silly, human mind games and antics are completely useless and ineffective against him. So you're only wasting your time." Hiei then left the common area and proceeded to the game room where he had taken temporary lodging.

"You know what," Yusuke mused, "the little guy's right. Kurama's not petty and lame like us. He's way above that. Above us."

"Oh so telling Lacus Clyne that she was at one point our source of comedic relief wasn't 'petty' or 'lame?'" Yzak snipped.

"You know, honestly man, I don't think he did it with bad intentions." Yusuke shrugged with a sigh. "I genuinely believe that it was just Kurama being Kurama which usually includes him being _too_ damn nice. Especially to girls."

"Hmph, and you guys thought _I_ would be the liability in that area." Miroku rolled his eyes.

Spike then stood to his feet. "So that's it then. He'll stay in Starfish until we're no longer pissed at him. Agreed?"

The boys all nodded in unison. "Agreed."

_**5 minutes later...**_

Kurama sat inside of the girls pool house absorbed in a _Sherlock __Holmes_ novel. He heard a gentle wrapping on the door that was so hesitant, it was almost as if the person on the other side was unsure of their decision to pay him a visit. In his mind, this hesitation could only come from one person. "Lacus." He whispered hopefully. Placing his book down onto the coffee table, he absently straightened his white button down shirt and pants and inhaled a breath before opening the door.

Needless to say, what he saw on the other side was definitely not what he was expecting. There they stood, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kira all looking as though the last twenty-four hours were nothing but a bad dream. "Yusuke?" Kurama questioned with widened eyes.

"Yeah man, pack your shBLEEP, you're coming back to HQ." Yusuke nodded his head toward White Shore as he extended his hand invitingly toward his friend and teammate.

"Wha...I-I don't understand. I thought-"

"Yeah, yeah, we were pissed at ya, and now we're over it." Yusuke nonchalantly blew off the drama that had ensued not barely a day before.

"Over it?" Kurama was still confused.

Yusuke could only sigh at Kurama's obliviousness. "See, here's the thing. We're men. And it's because we're men that we don't hold grudges over petty bullBLEEP like a bunch of whiny little girls. And honestly, we get it. Somebody's dangling tits and ass in front of ya, and the brain cells just shut down and as men we tend to go retarded in the discretion area, so all's forgiven. Come on back, Red!" Yusuke explained with a bright grin.

Hiei could only avert his eyes in disgust. "I personally do not agree with that statement, however there are terms to your reinstatement to base."

"And they are?" Kurama smiled slightly at Hiei's declaration. He knew that the other was happy to have him back as well, and this was his own little way of showing it.

"You must promise to stop being so merciful with our opposition on that girl's account." Hiei glared his crimson orbs into Kurama's emerald ones.

Kira sighed at Hiei's refusal to say her name. "_That girl_ has a name, Hiei."

"Fine. _Miss Clyne_. Should she no longer be a source of distraction to you and your dedication to our team, you will be exonerated from all past misdoings that involved her in any way, shape, or form. Is that clear, fox?" Hiei laid out the ground rules with cutthroat precision and assertiveness. The fire demon meant business, and he was in it to win it.

"That's quite clear, Hiei." Kurama subscribed to the terms of his reinstatement into White Shore HQ. "I will show no mercy to the girls. Not even Lacus."

"_Especially_ Lacus." Hiei added sternly.

Kurama paused for a moment before repeating Hiei's request. "_Especially_ Lacus."

"Good. Now gather your belongings, fox. We have battle formations to discuss." Hiei then turned on his heels and headed back for White Shore without sparing Kurama a second gaze. All was well. He had his comrade back; his friend. The fire demon would sleep well tonight.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It's probably for the best. If I were to continue my relationship with Lacus, it would only serve to slow her and her team down. Besides, I don't think she's one to look forward to my company as of late. Ever since our discussion...*SAD FACE***

**It's no matter. Even in my distance, I'll never abandon her. I don't want to slow her or her team down. Therefore, if I am aloof towards her, she will regain her competitive fire and her feelings for me will grow cold. So in a sense, I'm still helping the girls by essentially being mean and distant toward Lacus. But of course, most of my teammates don't possess the deductive reasoning skills to figure that out.**

_**End Chapter**_

* * *

**Next Chapter: Ch.23 "I've Got Crabs!" -** More drama ensues as Bra, Hilde and Ryoko make a pact to take down the Inner Circle behind their teammates' backs. Yusuke mistakenly finds out crucial information about the final challenge that will affect how the boys Inner Circle conducts their eliminations from then on.


	23. I've Got Crabs!

A/N: Well hello there! And welcome back! I'm glad that you guys are still enjoying the story, as I know it's been pretty hard to keep up with after that 3-year long hiatus and the fact that I've turned this into a summer read/seasonal story. So with those breaks in between it makes it hard to keep up with, and I'm glad that those of you who've stuck it out through the craziness are still alive and kicking. Thanks so much. You make this poor lil' author all sensitive :tear:. Sachiya! You madam, well...I've got plans for you, I'll just leave it at that. ;) I've also started a new blog on Tumblr for this story. It has all of the characters pictures as well as the soundtrack and a peek inside what the villas may look like. Battle of the Sexes Anime Style Extras. Look for it under my blog at VampSlaying101.

In the last chapter we saw a lot of drama get started (and resolved?) with Kurama and the boys. But now we've opened the door for a whole new breed of drama with Bra and her little alliance. Honestly, it was only a matter of time with that girl. XD Anyway, read on folks!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a single one of these characters. Except Brad. And Sachiya. Yes. I OWN you, now! Hehe!

**Song Disclaimers: **"Work Hard, Play Hard" by Wiz Khalifa; "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 23: I've Got Crabs!**

_**White Shore 0933 hours...**_

It was a day of celebration for the boys. Not just due to their recent win, but also for the fact that the repairs to their villa had finished. The team members that had ended up sprawled out about the common area and game room were able to return to their rightful rooms, including Kurama. The red-headed kitsune, was currently enjoying the minor cool down of 88 degree weather as he relaxed by the pool with Sesshomaru.

The demon lord was skeptical of Kurama's loyalty to their team. If there was one thing that he didn't tolerate, it was disloyalty to a comrade. "Fox, I must ask if your vow to show no mercy to the girls is indeed genuine."

Kurama could only release a quiet sigh. He knew that in many ways he still had to earn the trust of his fellow teammates. "I assure you that our team now has 110% of my loyalty and dedication."

Sesshomaru only spared his teammate a nod before standing to his feet and leaving the other alone by the pool.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) I have every intention of keeping an eye on the fox. While I may no longer be a part of the Inner Circle, that hardly means that I am any less concerned about our success in this competition. If I am to discover that Kurama's loyalty is in any way a masquerade, there will be grave consequences to pay on his behalf.**

**MTV producer: Speaking of 'grave consequences,' we need to talk to you about that thing with the bear-**

**Sesshomaru: *DEATH GLARE***

**MTV producer: Nevermind, it's cool. You're cool.**

Yusuke searched the villa for Hiei. He needed to go over battle strategies with his Inner Circle and the fire demon's presence and input was crucial. Passing by his and Kurama's room, he saw the demon lounging on his bed texting on his cell phone, much to the spirit detective's surprise. Leaning on the door post, Yusuke couldn't help the amused smile that spread across his lips at the display. "Yo, Hiei! Since when do you text?" His inquiry was met with silence as Hiei ignored him and proceeded with his electronic conversation. "Who's that? Kurama?" The fire demon said nothing and only spared him a dark look. "K, I get it. You're busy." Yusuke shrugged as he nervously backed out of the doorway and headed for the stairs.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Now, it couldn't have been Kurama 'cause I had just seen him chilling by the pool and he didn't have his cell phone with him. Damn it, I really wanna know who it was, I'm nosey!**

Yusuke made his way down toward the kitchen area to where Spike was currently engaged in a heated conversation with his girlfriend, Julia. Apparently, she had received information from an 'anonymous source' that he had slept with Faye. Yusuke could only roll his eyes at the confrontation. These women would find one way or another to let their senseless drama distract his teammates from shamelessly kicking their derrieres into next week.

Spike was growing immensely frustrated with Julia. The woman would barely let him get a word in. "Jul...no. No! NO! No, will you just...ju-just listen? But you're not listening to me! I _am_ trying to explain mysel..." Spike could only palm his forehead in exasperation as he leaned onto the kitchen counter. He could feel Ed, Inuyasha, and Athrun's mocking eyes on him. Looking up briefly, he met Ed's gaze, the young, blond, alchemist mouthing the words 'hang-up' over and over again so as not to allow Julia's negative energy to poison their team. Spike could only shake his head before offering another rebuttal to a rather ridiculous accusation by Julia. "Oh that's bullBLEEP and you know it, Julia, come on! So what if I've been travelling the galaxy with her collecting bounties, she's been a pain in my ass from day one!" Spike growled. "No it's not 'unresolved sexual tension!' Stop reading so much fan fiction! Now, I gotta go! Bye!" Spike quickly ended the call and retreated his cell phone to his pocket.

"What the hell was_ that_ about?" Inuyasha questioned.

Athrun released a knowing chuckle at Inuyasha's query. "Judging from the zeppelin-sized vein protruding from his forehead, and the fact that he wasn't permitted to contribute any logic or reason to the discussion I'd say the verdict is guilty for girlfriend troubles."

**Athrun: Gundam SEED (Guys) If I sound bitter, I am not. BLEEP Cagalli! She and her boy-boobs can all go to hell! *OBVIOUSLY BITTER***

Spike perched himself up on one of the barstools, resting his chin in his hands. "No, I...well yeah it's...she's accusing me of sleeping with Faye, of all people." Spike couldn't help the contorted look on his face as he reacted to the utter ridiculousness of that concept in itself.

Yusuke and Ed glanced at each other abashedly, the alchemist being the only one brave enough to question Spike about the issue. "Weeelll, did...you?" Ed palmed the back of his neck, anxiously.

"Of course I didn't! Why the hell would I do that? I wouldn't touch that chick with a ten-foot pole in a hazmat suit!" Spike adamantly denied.

"Ok," Ed waived, "I was just...you know...wondering. 'Cause I knew you guys were partners or something to that effect, so it's not that hard to-"

"Ew, no, Ed." Spike raised his hands in a shunning motion.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) I would have to be fallen down, piss drunk in order to even **_**think**_** about sleeping with Faye. *AWKWARD MUSING PAUSE* **

***TAKES OUT CELL PHONE AND FERVENTLY DIALS***

**Uhhh...yeeeah, Faye? I think we need to talk. O_O**

_**Morning in Starfish...**_

The girls were pleased that the boys had decided to take Kurama back into his own villa. The awkward prospect of having him constantly hanging around, even in the pool house, considering the drama that he had caused between both teams was just too much for them to bear. Thus far they had dealt with two consecutive losses and both were slaughters. They all knew that they couldn't allow themselves to be defeated so brutally. If they were going to lose, they were damn sure going to make the boys work for it.

Keiko had decided to hold a house meeting after the embarrassment they had all suffered the previous day with a 1-9 loss. "Ladies, you know I'm not one to get on our case. But seriously, what happened yesterday?

Fllay couldn't help but be slightly annoyed by Keiko's tenacity. After all, she didn't win either one of her races, and she was the only one amongst them that actually got a second shot. "Umm, a burning log, alligator infested water, and an exploding wall happened yesterday, Keiko." Fllay rolled her eyes.

"I know that, but it's just like the majority of you weren't even trying yesterday." Keiko sighed. Her comment had particularly rubbed Serena the wrong way.

"Well, come on Keiko, let's not point fingers. I mean you didn't exactly try your hardest during _our_ race." Serena reminded.

"What do you mean?" Keiko questioned innocently.

"Umm..."

_**The previous day...**_

Serena struggled to make it to their first obstacle, the burning log, as Keiko barely drug her feet from the ground. "Keiko, what are you doing? We have to move! Ed and Yusuke have already made it to the zip line!" Serena panted.

"Serena, I already had to run through this death course once! Cut me some slack here, jeez!" Keiko whined. She mainly placed the burden of running the course all on Serena. And why not? Serena was mostly a pushover anyway, so it wasn't as though she would actually give Keiko crap about it.

"This is...completely unfair, Keiko!" Serena shouted as the two of them hopped onto the trampoline, barely making it over the burning log as Serena's shoe caught fire. "AAHHHH, my SHOOOEEEE!"

_**Back to the present...**_

Keiko could only blink at Serena's little reminder of her failure to be a team player and help her out during their run through. Serena could tell that Keiko was starting to feel guilty, and the last thing she wanted to do was make the other girl feel bad. "It's no big deal, Keiko," Serena backpaddled, "you _had_ run through it once before, so it's understandable that you were tired. I just wanted you to mindful of everyone else's feelings, is all."

Bra was once again annoyed by yet another display of weakness from a teammate. "'No big deal?' Are you kidding? Everything that has gone wrong for us in this competition is because we've been too soft on each other, or _talk too much to the wrong person_." Bra narrowed her eyes toward Lacus, causing the other girl to tense under her gaze.

Kagome noticed Bra's silent comment and decided to jump in to mediate the conversation. "Well, Bra let's not be too harsh about that. And Kurama's back at his own villa so we don't have to worry about him hanging around here and making things majorly awkward." Kagome half-smiled.

"Right," Bra smiled wryly, "I'm sure Lacus is just heartbroken over it. After all, with him in our villa he wouldn't have had to walk as far to bang her." Her comment caused a collection of gasps to sweep throughout the villa.

Lacus was beyond insulted by Bra's presumptuous attitude. "Bra, I am highly offended by that comment as that was _not_ the nature of our relationship."

Bra rolled her eyes, having felt betrayed that Lacus was sneaking around with Kurama in the first place. "I'm sure it wasn't, sweetie."

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I'm honestly really worried that Lacus gave away a lot of sensitive information about our team. She's probably the one to blame for our losing streak depending on how long she and Kurama had been spending _happy time_ together. **_**Now**_** do you see why my alliance to take down the Inner Circle is needed? It's time to seriously shake the tree and get rid of some dead weight, if you ask me!**

"Whatever, I'm bored with this." Bra blew off the house meeting to head upstairs to Hilde's room. There they were, Hilde and Ryoko, sitting in the ex-Oz soldier's bedroom discussing amongst themselves their _own_ battle plans to take down not just the boys, but their Inner Circle as well.

"I was wondering how long you'd last down there!" Ryoko grinned.

"Ugh, barely five minutes. They're so stupid. Nothing they say makes any sense anymore. I just...I can't." Bra raised her hands as she sat on the edge of Relena's old bed next to the space pirate.

"See," Hilde sighed as she flopped down onto her own bed, "I don't even bother with those stupid house meetings anymore. They don't even talk about anything relevant to this competition. _So_ counter-productive."

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I'm a soldier. A trained military personnel. I cannot, and _will_ not tolerate BS when it comes to battle strategies. It's just a pet peeve of mine. Conversely, I should probably be more loyal to my teammates because of my military training, but meh...details. *SHRUGS***

"Ok," Bra began, "so here's the plan. We need to figure out a way to lower Faye, Pan and Keiko's scores while simultaneously raising our own."

"Right," Ryoko agreed, "and as of right now, behind the Inner Circle, we are the top three on the scoreboard for our team."

"Which means that when they drop below us, we'll be the ones to take their place." Hilde scratched her chin. "Okay, let's just note the highest and the lowest scores within the Inner Circle right now."

"Pan and Keiko." Bra informed.

"Sweet," Hilde nodded, "so we'll go after Keiko first since she's the easiest to knock down."

"Exactly," Ryoko cosigned, "but be careful. We have to be smart about this. We can't just all be appointed to the Inner Circle at once, otherwise it'll look suspicious."

"I agree," Bra conceded, "so we'll focus on one at a time. Our first target is Keiko. Should be easy enough. Hil, since you're the most liked on our team we'll use you to get inside Keiko's head and mess up her game. Poor sap'll never see it coming." Bra finished with an evil gleam in her eye.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) Even though they've been playing against each other, Yusuke and Keiko are still **_**very**_** much so dating. But Hilde and I've got a little dirt on Yusuke that involves his recent behavior with a stripper at a club. *WINK***

While Bra and her cohorts all plotted against the Inner Circle in Hilde's room, Faye was currently in her own room involved in a very odd phone conversation with Spike. The topic being, what had happened, if anything, between the two of them after Bra's birthday party. "Yes, Spike that's it. That's all that happened. Why would I lie besides obvious reasons?" Faye reassured. "Ohmygod, Spike, YES! We got drunk with Ryoko in the back of _Razzle's_. Then Ryoko went back inside. Then we started talking about old bounty hunts we'd had and other random topics and then we took one of the transportation vans back to the villas an hour before Bra's party was over. We both came back to my villa, which was empty, had some _Kahlua_, played a game of poker in my room and passed out. You have _nothing_ to worry about. Now I gotta go, bye!" Faye hung up from Spike, tossing her cell phone onto her bed.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) I decided to leave out the part where I woke up naked next to Spike, who was also naked at the time. In fact, I choose to act like that last part never happened.**

**MTV producer: What last part?**

**Faye: Good boy. (O_O)**

The house's _Nokia_ cell phone then rang from the kitchen where it had been charging. Botan trotted over to the counter opening the text message to read off to the team. "Listen up, everyone. It says: _If Nemo could handle it, then so can you. Hope you bring your lucky fins and be ready to leave the villas at 11am sharp!_"

"Well ladies, looks like we'll be doing an underwater challenge." Pan surmised as she and the rest of the team proceeded to their rooms to dress in their swim gear.

_**15th Challenge: I've Got Crabs!**_

The boys had been told to wear Speedos once again as the challengers arrived at the beach where lined up were rows of human-sized tanks filled with water. Johnny stood by with Brad and a few others as he greeted the challengers from the distance. Once again, Sachiya was nowhere to be found. Some of the challengers were, dare they say, beginning to miss the purple-haired girl. Especially the girls as her obsession with Hiei served as a significant distraction for the fire demon.

"Hey, Johnny!" Serena chirped. "Where's Sachiya? I haven't seen her around." Serena questioned as a few of the girls nodded.

Yusuke could only roll his eyes. "Who cares? She's annoying."

"Well, I didn't ask you now did I Yusuke?" Serena smiled.

Johnny could only chuckle. "Ahem, Sachiya had uhh...family obligations and we don't know if she'll be coming back or not. For now, your new assistant host is Brad. Moving on." Johnny quickly rushed through the issue.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Hmm, our host's demeanor was very strange when that insufferable girl was brought up. It's almost as if he's hiding something. *SUSPICIOUS***

"This next challenge will prove to be quite inSEAdious. Hehe, I made up a new word." Johnny joked.

"Get on with it." Hiei pressed.

"Ahem," Johnny cleared his throat, "anyway, as you can see there are several rows of water-filled tanks before you. Your mission today is to stay underwater, using a snorkel to breathe, holding a bucket of water steady while every minute a new creature of the sea is added to the tank. Creatures include sea urchins, sea cucumbers, lobsters, shrimp, and crabs. Every minute that you last is worth 5 points to your personal score and 10 points to your team score. You must remain still and not allow water from your bucket to go below the marked line. There will be judges posted near the tanks to watch for movement. The player who lasts the longest will win the Chibi Wolf Hero and this team prize."

Brad then unveiled the the team prize to which most were impressed with. "An _iPhone 5_."

"Holy..." Trunks began, "is that even out yet?"

Kira was also impressed. "Yeah, seriously, I'm just adjusting to the _4S_ myself."

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Sweet goodness, the **_**Apple**_** production team is EFFICIENT! I swear they come out with a new product every year! How am I supposed to keep up with this? It's MADNESS! MADNESS I tell you! *TECHNO GEEK OVERLOAD***

"Nope, not out yet! MTV production has pre-ordered a few specifically for this game. And you thought they hated you." Johnny smiled.

"But," Wufei started, "they _do_ don't they?"

"Absolutely," Johnny nodded, "this is just their shameless way of doing product placement. This show is truly just a one hour long _AT&T_ and _Apple_ commercial. Accept it." Johnny explained nonchalantly.

"Aaaalrighty, then." Duo half-laughed.

"Okay, challengers, slip into your swim gear and pick a tank." Johnny instructed.

Yusuke strut his way over to a tank that was being watched by a buxom, bleach-blond judge who could give Kendra Wilkinson a run for her money. "I think I'll take this one over here." He said with a wink in her direction.

Hilde noticed his innocent flirting and used this as her opportunity to 'get inside Keiko's head' as she and the other girl slipped out of their shorts and tops down to their swimwear. "Ugh, has he no shame? I mean you're standing right here."

"It's alright. I don't mind." Keiko smiled. "Yusuke's just a flirtatious guy. It's his personality. But I know his heart's not really in it."

"You sure?" Hilde arched an eyebrow as the two walked toward their tanks.

"Oh, I'm positive. I don't let stuff like that get to me. Besides, we've got a competition to win!" Keiko perked as she made her way over to her tank, taking the bucket that one of the judges handed to her.

Hilde watched as Keiko, thoughtlessly slipped on her gear and stepped into the water, not offering Yusuke a second glance. "Hmmm. Guess this is gonna be harder than I thought."

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Damn that girl and her security in her relationship! *SUPER DEFORMED FACE* **

They had all been under the water for barely a minute before Blue started complaining about issues with her mask. "Icanbroooozzzz..." Blue's muffled cries could be heard by the judges who couldn't make out what she was saying.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) Clearly the snorkels were not made for canine anatomy because mine didn't fit. And as a result I kept getting water in my mask, so I had to hold my breath manually. Do you think they cared? (-_-')**

"What was that?" One of the judges leaned over Blue's tank as the black wolf let out bubbles from beneath the water.

"Hey, I don't think she should be letting out bubbles from under the water." Another judge observed.

"You think her snorkel's defective?" Brad added. Just then Blue popped up out of the water, gasping for air as if she had been deprived of it for years.

"Blue you're-"

"NO," Blue interrupted Johnny's declaration of her failure, "don't you say it, because this isn't my fault! My stupid mask didn't fit!" Blue snapped as she threw said mask sourly to the side.

"Ohhh, that's right, you're the _wolf_." A judge realized.

"Uhh, yeah, I'm 'the wolf.' This shouldn't count, Johnny!" Blue whined.

Brad was hardly amused. "Wait, why didn't you say something ahead of time then? You had to have known that the snorkel wouldn't fit, dude." Brad shook his head.

"I don't know! I guess I just thought that you guys would be looking out for our best inter...yeeeah, okay, this is totally my fault." Blue added sheepishly as she made her way to the sideline with a dejected sigh.

"Sorry, dude." Brad shrugged.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) I don't know if you've noticed, but these people REALLY really suck. **

The rest of the challengers had all been submerged in their tanks, waiting for the first minute to pass as they remained extra still under the water, holding their buckets steady on their abdomens. Johnny sounded his horn to signify that the first minute had passed and it was time to add the first batch of creatures, the sea urchins. The judges all took bins full of the prickly, hedgehogs of the sea, as they dumped them in on the challengers, who had to fight not to move as they felt the small spines pierce their skin.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) The thing about this challenge was that it wasn't so much painful as it was just creepy. Sea urchins have spines that can sting a little, but my pain tolerance is through the roof. The creep factor, however, is a whole other issue. *SHUDDERS***

After thirty seconds of being exposed to the sea urchins, Android 18, Koga and Wufei quickly jumped out of their tanks, removing their snorkels. Johnny then read them their time, informing them that they had only earned 5 points for themselves and 30 collectively toward their teams.

Android 18 was surprised once she realized that Koga and Wufei had caved also. "Wufei? Really? What, they don't teach endurance and mind over matter in Kung-fu?"

"Be quiet, Eighteen. Why is your name a number?" Wufei snapped as he walked over to the side and quickly slipped on his shorts. There was no need to be seen any longer in the humiliating get up that were the Speedos.

**Wufei: Gundam Wing (Guys) Water was seeping into my snorkel. It had absolutey nothing to do with the fact that one of the sea urchins had stung me in a...sensitive area for men. *HIGHLY EMBARRASSED***

**Koga: Inuyasha (Guys) Sea urchins. They sting. I am a male. 'Nuff said.**

Another minute had passed and it was time to add more creatures. The judges then grabbed a bin of sea cucumbers, dumping them into the tanks with the challengers. Not seconds after the addition of the sea cucumbers did a mysterious woman come out of nowhere in search of Yusuke.

The buxom, bleach-blond ventured over toward the challenge and began questioning Johnny and the rest of the judges on the whereabouts of Yusuke. "Excuse me, is there a Yusuke Urameshi here?"

Johnny and Brad had been momentarily distracted by the woman's 'assets' before they were able to actually look her in the eye and attempt to answer her question. "I'm sorry, what?" Johnny swallowed.

"Yusuke Urameshi, I was told he would be here." The woman answered.

"And you are...?" Johnny queried.

"Well, he knows me as 'Champagne.' We met at the club I dance at about a week ago." Champagne explained.

"The club you _dance_ at?" Johnny repeated back slowly.

Dearka could hear the conversation from under the water. A muffled 'uh-oh' could be heard from his tank as he remained still amidst the sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) How the _hell_ did she know where to find him? Strippers are never supposed to be able to **_**find**_** their customers! Do you have _any_ idea how bad that would be for business? I smell a rat!**

Yusuke could do nothing but try to remain still and pretend that he was unable to hear anything that was going on above water. Champagne continued on with her story and what drove her to search for the spirit detective in spite of the many risks that it presented.

"So let me get this straight," Johnny began, "you met Yusuke at 'the club you dance at' which, I'm assuming, is a strip joint, and he said _what,_ now?"

"He told me that I made him the happiest that he'd ever been. He called me the most beautiful piece of ass he'd ever laid his eyes on, and that he wanted nothing more than to see me again, but I haven't heard from him since! I've never had a guy treat me the way he did. I just want to know if he's ok." Champagne explained. Her story, of course, caught the ears of Keiko, who was hardly impressed with the woman's words. In fact, she was immensely pissed off.

"WWWWHHHHAAAAATTTT!" Keiko yelled out, her voice muffled and gurgling from being underwater. She immediately hopped out of her water tank, after barely three minutes, and pounced on Yusuke. The two were then eliminated from the challenge as a result. "WHO IS SHE YUSUKE?" Keiko grabbed Yusuke by his hair, forcing him to look at her.

"Ow! SWEET LORD, Keiko!" Yusuke winced.

"There you are!" Champagne gleamed excitedly as she made her way over to Yusuke. "Don't you remember me?"

"Ah! NO!" Yusuke yelped as Keiko's grip became tighter on his hair.

Keiko was furious. Her security in their relationship apparently wasn't _that_ strong. "EXPLAIN!"

"I-I dunno, DAMN! I was probably BLEEPfaced! Come on, no sober guy would say ANY of that to a stripper!" Yusuke pleaded.

"Oh, but what about just a few minutes ago when you were flirting with _Playboy_ Barbie over there!" Keiko pointed toward the judge that had caught his eye. So it _had_ bothered her after all.

"I...dunno...OW!" Yusuke cried as Keiko guided him a safe distance away from the challenge, Champagne following closely behind.

"Hey, Yusuke! Wait for meeeeee!" Champagne squealed.

"Damn it! Go AWAY!" Yusuke had truly outdone himself. Now he had to deal with Keiko, Champagne, and his deficient short-term memory regarding that night. All Hilde, Bra and Ryoko could do was smile to themselves in their tanks as they proceeded to go for the win.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Score! $50,000 here I come.**

_**Go hard, make sure you do whatever it is that you gotta do, that's your job. And ****** gonna hate but that's no prob...**_

Another minute had passed as the judges added more creatures to the tanks. This time, the lobsters. It was no surprise that the addition of the creatures and caused a few teammates to move, causing the judges to call them out and eliminate them from the challenge. Three more were down for the count as, Spike, Serena, and Winry were pulled and had to step to the side. Hilde, Bra, and Ryoko were still holding down their positions, secretly waiting for the moment when Faye and Pan would get called out.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I know that Pan's my best friend, and I don't even need $50,000 dollars but I've got a reputation to uphold here. I'm never on a losing team. Case closed. I don't care if the prize money is 50 cents! My pride and ego are priceless! And if she has a problem with that then, oh well. It's not like she doesn't _know_ how I am. Whatever!**

_**...That's why, where I come from, the only thing we know is, work hard play hard, work hard play hard...**_

Two hours had passed and only Hiei, Sesshomaru, and Trunks were left in the challenge. The rest of the players surrounded the tanks and watched as the three remaining boys lay completely still submerged in a tank full of sea urchins, sea cucumbers, lobsters, shrimp, and crabs. It was looking up for all of them until Trunks ran into a rather unfortunate situation with one of the crabs and quite literally flew out of the tank.

"Whoa," Android 17 watched as the half-Saiyan went airborne before slowly coming back down to earth, "what was that about?"

"One of the crabs pinched my...I had to leave." Trunks rushed the last portion of his statement before grabbing his shorts and a towel and sitting on the side.

**Trunks: Dragonball GT (Guys) For some reason, the sea creatures had a weird fascination with our balls. I wonder if they were friends of Tigre. *SHUDDERS***

Another hour had passed and the challengers were getting bored. All they could do was just sit there and watch Sesshomaru and Hiei rack up points for their team and themselves. This was especially annoying for the girls who had no one to root for anyway.

"Ugh," Pan groaned, "can you just call time or something? This is boring! No one cares anymore. We get it, the boys won."

"Bet you wouldn't be complaining if you guys actually had a teammate still in there!" Duo teased.

"Well duh!" Pan snipped.

"Ahh, yesss, Pan. Feel the burn of fail permeating to your core." Duo rubbed his belly in an 'mmmm' gesture to further irritate the small girl who could do nothing but flip him the bird.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I swear, at this point, the girls could market a drug for all the butthurt they've been overdosing on lately. *ANNOYINGLY SMUG***

Just then, both Sesshomaru and Hiei decided to stand up and exit their tanks. The action caused looks of confusion to generate throughout both teams. "Hiei, Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Kurama questioned their behavior.

Sesshomaru didn't even the spare the fox a look as he quickly removed his snorkel and reached for his robes to cover his nearly nude form. (A/N: Sesshomaru and Hiei in Speedos. What have I done to these characters? O_o)

"There's no need to be greedy. We've acquired more than enough points for this challenge." Hiei explained as he slipped into his black shorts and tank.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) Okay, you know it's bad when the boys have gotten to the point where they're just earning points for the hell of it. I don't think they're even worried about not winning anymore. Our team is such a joke!**

"Okay then," Johnny began, "Brad final scores please?"

"Yes, the boys now have a score of 100,749 and the girls 79,458. Chibi Wolf Hero and an _iPhone 5_ for their team goes to Hiei and Sesshomaru for lasting the longest." Brad explained. The announcement of yet another win caused the boys to celebrate, surrounding Sesshomaru and Hiei in their praises.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) I'm getting really sick of this losing streak. Something has_ got_ to be done. Fllay is once again at the bottom. Considering that she's completely useless, hurting our team, and didn't even last five minutes in today's challenge maybe the Inner Circle will finally wake up and get rid of her.**

"Girls Inner Circle, have you decided who you're going to send home tonight?" Johnny questioned.

"Yes," Faye started, "we've decided that it'd be best to send Blue home."

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) ಠ_ಠ**

Blue could only sigh. She had expected to be at the very bottom after today's challenge yet was suprised when Fllay had actually managed to get below her once again. And here she was, going home anyway. "Umm, okay. Farewell, ladies." Blue shrugged.

**Blue: Wolf's Rain (Gals) Okay, what...the hell?**

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) We figured it out. It was the wolf that was slowing us down. I mean, come on she can't even hold stuff, lack of opposable thumbs and all.**

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) ...I don't wanna be in the Inner Circle anymore. No, scratch that. I don't want **_**Faye**_** in the Inner Circle anymore. None of her elimination decisions have been making any sense. Unfortunately, she has something on me and well, now I'm her bitch. Yay me. Tired of this.**

"Gentlemen, I take it you're sticking to the usual formula of eliminating the player with the lowest score." Johnny started. It sounded almost as though he were making a pointed comment toward the girls team, but they ignored it.

"That's correct." Kira nodded. He then gestured toward Wufei, who willingingly accepted his dismissal.

"It's been fun gentlemen. But now I must take my leave. I look forward to hearing of our victory." Wufei smiled as he shook hands with his teammates.

"Alright, good game today guys, and we'll do it all again tomorrow. Have a good night!" Johnny waved as the challengers headed toward the transportation vans.

_**Back at White Shore...**_

The boys proceeded to celebrate their win against the girls with pizza, beer, and the latest _MLB_ game. The sounds of cheers and groans from bad plays in the baseball game could be heard from the common area minced in with the uplifting beats of "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida over the stereo system. The boys truly were overwhelmed with good feelings as they laid back on the couches knocking back _Corona_, _Domino's Fiery Hawaiian _and_ Wisconsin 6 Cheese Pizzas_. Life was indeed good.

Yusuke had made a point to hide in the room that he now had to himself since Kuwabara's elimination. Keiko and Champagne were gunning for him, and he was in too good of a mood to deal with their drama. So he decided to enjoy his beer and pizza in the confines of his room as he watched the game on his laptop.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) All Keiko wants to do is fight, and I don't even know who the hell Champagne is. Either way, they were both getting on my nerves and I just wanted to enjoy my wins with the rest of the guys. BLEEP that noise.**

A small sound went off on Yusuke's computer notifying him that he had received an e-mail. Clicking on the notification, he furrowed his eyebrows at the unfamiliar sender. Hesitating to click on it, he was beckoned by the subject line that read _IMPORTANT INFO RE: BOTS COMPETITION_. The sender was clearly someone that knew he was competing in the MTV reality game show. For all he knew, it could've been a producer from their camp. And so he clicked on the message. Reading through it, Yusuke couldn't help the widening of his eyes at what rested on his screen. "Oh BLEEP."

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I don't know who sent it, but it's clearly someone that wants my team to win because it held pertinent information about the final challenge. And now, I realize that we've been going about our eliminations all wrong. *GULP***

_**End Chapter**_

* * *

**Next Chapter: Ch. 24 "Totally Puzzled!" - **Bra, Hilde and Ryoko continue to work against Keiko, while Faye and Pan butt heads regarding elimination decisions. Meanwhile, the boys have all started acting very strange by behaving like militant zombies.


	24. Totally Puzzled

A/N: Wow, I did not mean to go that long without an update. But couple in a family trip and some other business I needed to take care of, and the wait was sadly inevitable. I had anticipated this chapter to be quite long, and I ended up surprising myself with it being of "average length." I'm going to try to keep the chapters about average length from now on, just for mercy's sake, if anything else! Unless of course I get hit with massive inspiration that glues me to my seat as I write, I doubt we'll get one as long as Bra's birthday party. Anyway, thank you so much for your reviews and follows (that's new…hmm) and again don't forget to hit up my Tumblr or my Twitter to see what I'm doing when I'm not updating (and possibly beat me into submission to do so). Speaking of being beaten into submission, yes Sachiya, I am your master. And thus, much is in store for your character in future chapters. Oh yes. Quite much! Hehehe!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my thoughts. Sometimes.

**Song Disclaimer: **"Crazy Bitch" by Buckcherry

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 24: Totally Puzzled**

_**Morning in Starfish…**_

Once again, the girls collected into the common area of their villa mourning yet another loss and the fact that they were so far behind in the competition. The Inner Circles had called the meeting to get down to the source of their problem. They noticed that Bra, Ryoko and Hilde were absent. They weren't surprised, however. They had noticed how the girls' faith in their team had been dwindling, specifically Bra's. Keiko could only sigh at the thought, and decided not to let their absence bother her.

The room was eerily silent and the atmosphere depressing, as they all sat upon the couches and floor clasping pillows to their chests for security. Keiko and Pan refused to give in to the sorrow, however. There they stood, centered and unwavering in the midst of so much loss. Both girls were small in stature, yet their fearless and determined attitude gave them the appearance of being eight feet tall.

Pan had had enough of the dreariness. She was certain that such doom and gloom was to blame for their losing streak. "Why do you guys look so depressed? Okay, so we lost a couple of challenges."

"Three." Fllay interrupted sourly. "We've lost _three_ challenges. In a row. It's pathetic."

Pan was slightly annoyed by Fllay's attitude. After all, it wasn't as if the girl had any room to judge considering that she still held the lowest score. "That's big talk coming from someone with so few points." Pan snapped causing Fllay to spare the smaller girl a haughty glare.

**Fllay: Gundam SEED (Gals) How dare she! I'm trying my best out there and she throws my many…many failed attempts back in my face? I hate this team so much! Bunch of ingrates they are! *SPOILED RICH KID POUTING***

The mentioning of Fllay's low score caused many of the girls, who were already on edge, to start thinking. Fllay had been keeping the scoreboard's seat warm at the bottom for quite some time, and yet she was still there. Needless to say, this caused many of the girls to be thoroughly annoyed, especially those notorious for their hot-headed attitudes. "Speaking of which," Android 18 began, "why is she still here?" She directed the question toward Keiko, Faye, and Pan who could only blankly stare back, mouths gaping. "I mean one of the main reasons that the boys have been kicking our asses is because they actually get rid of their weakest players instead of keeping them around. Weak players are a liability."

Fllay was quite agitated by being referred to as _weak_. She was even more so offended that Android 18 spoke of her as if she weren't standing right in the room. "Umm, excuse me. Firstly, I'm standing right here. Secondly, if you have a problem with me, don't go talking to the Inner Circle about it, talk to me."

Android 18 only rolled her eyes at Fllay's nerve. "Oh please Fllay. We've all talked to you again and again about picking it up, and you just start whining instead of actually taking the advice."

"Oh my god, that is such a LIE! When have ANY of you ever tried talking to me about ANYTHING?" Fllay shrieked.

"Uh," Winry decided to chime in, "we've talked to you about it quite a bit since this competition started and you always just sort of, blow us off."

"I do not!" Fllay protested.

"Yes you do, Fllay!" Winry snapped. "Do you think 18 is pulling all of this out of thin air with no basis in reality?"

"I don't believe this!" Fllay growled. "I HAVE been trying! Or have you all conveniently forgotten about the 'Tarzan' challenge where it was ME that figured out how to win? You remember the thing with the mirror? Oh wait, I forgot. You guys just remember the bad things about people on this team." Fllay whined.

"Now Fllay, you know that's not true." Keiko tried to console the other girl.

"Yes, it is! I not only won that challenge but I helped the team! So you can't say that I've just been lagging through this competition." Fllay folded her arms.

"Fllay," Cagalli sighed, "that was _one_ time. And to be honest, we're all pretty sure it was an act of God. Other times before then, and after, you haven't really been pulling your weight around here."

"Ugh, what is this? 'Gang up on Fllay Day?'" Fllay huffed.

"Come off it, Fllay," Faye jumped in, "no one's _ganging up on you_. So quit your bitchin' and stop playing the victim."

"What!" Fllay angrily stood up causing Faye to raise her eyebrows as if to challenge the girl.

Keiko could feel the tension rising between the two girls, and wisely decided to interject. "Look, Fllay's not the only one to blame, here. We're _all_ responsible for this. I mean have you seen the latest scores? The gap between us and the boys is about as wide as it was before the 'Frozen Solid' challenge!"

"Well," Fllay began, "on the bright side, if we hadn't done what we'd done during 'Frozen Solid' the gap would be even larger."

Keiko defiantly shook her head. "No, no, don't say things like that, Fllay. You make it sound like we cheated." Keiko half-begged.

"Umm," Fllay stood to her feet then so as to be eye level with Keiko, "but that's exactly what we did, Keiko."

"NO!" Keiko adamantly denied. "We did _not_ cheat! We just…used our resources to give ourselves a significant, albeit unfair, advantage during a challenge." The rest of the girls could only stare at Keiko as if she had sprouted a limb from her forehead. "See? Not cheating." Keiko forced an enthused smile as she eyed her teammates, nodding as if to gain their agreement for her special logic.

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) You know Keiko's a fairly sweet individual with a good head on her shoulders. But the poor girl does tend to have her logic fail moments. For example, her genuine belief that our actions during 'Frozen Solid' were not blatantly considered cheating. Love ya Keiko but, no sweetie. Just…no.**

**Aeka: Tenchi Universe (Gals) I do wonder what the rules specifically say about any efforts taken to place one's team at an advantage **_**outside**_** of an actual challenge. There's always a loophole. There **_**must**_** be. After all, I'm a princess. And as such, I have a code of decorum and ethics to adhere to.**

**MTV producer: **_**Now**_** you worry about **_**decorum**_** and **_**ethics**_**? You worry about this **_**now**_**? Even after your behavior with Trunks post-Bra's birthday party that would make Snooki herself blush? Seriously?**

**Aeka: Tenchi Universe (Gals) *RED FACED* You…know about that?**

**MTV producer: MmmHmmm. *SMUG***

**Aeka: *GULP* Oh dear.**

In Hilde's room, the ex-Oz soldier paced back and forth as she engaged in a heated discussion with Duo on her cell phone. The boy had been calling and calling her non-stop ever since Bra's birthday party and it had gotten to the point where her mailbox could no longer sustain his merciless onslaught of voice messages. "Okay, really Duo, there is a dangerously fine line between persistence and stalking." Hilde growled lowly as she rummaged through her suitcase to pull out a green _Aeropostale _t-shirt. "Yes you are! You're being a nuisance! A proverbial thorn in my side!" She spat as she shook out the wrinkles, supporting her cell phone lazily between her cheek and shoulder.

On the other side of the door, Bra was just about to enter but the sound of Hilde's intense phone conversation caused the girl to halt herself. Leaning against the wall, Bra went into complete eavesdrop mode, thanking the gods for her Saiyan half that rendered the soundproof plasterboards virtually useless.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Yeah, yeah, I know. 'How inconsiderate, rude and invasive.' And **_**I**_** of all people am guilty of such behavior. It's all so very shocking. *ROLLS EYES***

Hilde continued on with her phone conversation, unaware that powerful, sensitive ears could pick up on not only her half of the discussion, but that of the other party's as well. "Duo, the point is I don't think we should make this into more than what it was."

"_Well, what was it Hilde? That's all I wanna know." _Duo's distorted voice could be picked up by Bra's super-human auditory receptors.

Hilde sighed as she slipped on her white jean shorts. "It was…a one-time thing, I'll tell ya that much."

"_Oh come on, Hil enough! Enough with the bullBLEEP! You don't just have a 3-way with people you consider your best friends and then not speak to them days after!"_ Duo snipped out of frustration.

Bra couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was as if Dende and every Earth Guardian before him had manufactured what was clearly a blessing, for her and her alone. In her eyes, the great and merciful Dende knew that she would need a Plan B in the event that either Hilde or Ryoko decided to betray her while they enacted their attack against the Inner Circle. She already had her dirt on Ryoko for being the one to cause friction in Spike and Julia's relationship by blabbing about him and Faye. Now, her blackmail life lines were complete, which left for an iron clad alliance with sole loyalty in her favor. She raised her sapphire orbs to the heavens and clasped her hands together in front of her chin. Her eyes quivered as if to sincerely be holding back tears. "Thank you. Thank you for always making sure that I get my way."

Hilde jumped to her feet nervously. "Oh god, Duo! Are you alone? You can't just talk about-"

"_Don't worry," _Duo interrupted, _"all the guys are downstairs with Yusuke. He had something important to talk about. Your precious character is safe from defamation and ruin." _Duo's tone was thick with sarcasm.

"Duo, I'm not ashamed because of what happened." Hilde placed her hand over her eyes as she sat on the edge of her bed.

"_Yeah you are. You're totally ashamed. You're ashamed of me." _Duo added dejectedly.

"No, that's not it at all. It's not _you_. I'm ashamed of _myself_." Hilde finally admitted.

"_What are you talking about?_" Duo was confused.

"I've always been the level-headed one. I think on my feet and am never one to be so…reckless." Hilde shook her head.

"_You're kidding right?"_ Duo teased.

"Will you just hear me out please?" Hilde griped.

"_Alright, g'head. You have the floor, ma'am."_

"I just…I never wanted it to be…like that, with us." Hilde struggled with her words.

"_I don't follow."_

"If you'd shut-up, you'd get what I was trying to say!" Hilde bit back.

"_I'd get what you were trying to say if you'd actually _say_ it!" _

Hilde released an exasperated sigh. This was not going well at all. "Look, I'm just saying if we were to ever…do that, I would've wanted it to have been…different."

"_Different how?_" Duo's voice was hopeful.

"I dunno, just…different." Hilde shrugged.

"_Are you saying that you would've wanted our first time together to be special?" _There was a hint of perverted smugness in Duo's voice.

Hilde refused to give in. Duo was truly not big on the heavy, emotional issues. She knew joking was his defense mechanism, and she had one of her own…denial and insults. "What? NO, you pervert! That's not what I'm saying."

"_Yeah you are! You're saying that you lurrrrv me! You wanted it to be just the two of us, all cozy and romantic with rose petals, wine and candles, as opposed to _Svedka_, hash brownies, and the unfiltered sounds of drunken rambunctious young adults next door to Cenia's hotel room!" _Duo continued to tease.

"Ugh! You're disgusting, Duo!" Hilde rolled her eyes.

"_You wanted Kenny G playing a soft, quelling tune in the background, but instead you got Last Call with Carson Daly coupled with the muffled sounds of Drake and Lil' Wayne…" _Duo couldn't help the guttural laughter that escaped as he continued to mock Hilde.

"I'm hanging up, Duo." Hilde responded flatly.

"…_Instead of waking up in the muscly, tanned, arms of your sex god lurrverrr, you got to wake up with a raging hangover, tangled in cheap, sweaty bed sheets and shoo away the housekeeping lady who spoke three words of English like a hundred times!" _Duo continued to double over with laughter.

"Seriously, I am hanging up." Hilde folded her arms, hardly amused by Duo's lewd humor.

"_Hey, this sound familiar Hil? 'Cenia, are these your panties or mine?'" _And on that note, Duo was left with a beeping noise that notified him of an ended call. Unable to contain himself, the ex-Deathscythe pilot fell back onto his bed, laughing uncontrollably.

"AssBLEEP." Hilde scoffed as she threw her phone down onto her bed. Maybe she was overthinking the whole thing. It was obvious that neither Duo nor Cenia thought less of her. But then again, they were Duo and Cenia, two individuals who were a lot less wound up than she. Hilde brushed off the thoughts, and decided instead to concentrate on what her alliance had now considered Phase 2 of their plan to infiltrate the Inner Circle.

In the hallway, Bra slid down to the ground, covering her mouth with her hands to conceal her own laughter. She was so excited to learn such information that she nearly felt moved to tears. Well, just nearly. After all, this was Bra. She wasn't exactly a teary-eyed pansy.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) Okay! Before, when I let the girls listen to those 'brain scans' during the 'Gladiator' challenge, they were actually fake. I only did it to stir BLEEP up. Luckily for me, Duo's fake brain scan about Hilde turned out to be true. Why is this lucky for me you ask? Well, Hilde clearly has no intentions of this information getting out. So not only did I learn something juicy, I now have more leverage for our alliance. See? I **_**can **_**have nice things.**

In the girls pool house, Spike and Faye were in the process of trying to recount exactly what happened between them after Bra's birthday party. Spike just couldn't shake the thought that something more had happened. He couldn't eat. He couldn't sleep. And to be perfectly honest, he was getting tired of Julia hounding him for it. So he had to be sure.

"Here's the thing, Faye. I keep getting these…flashes." Spike began.

"Flashes?" Faye cocked an eye as she poured a glass of apple juice behind the bar counter.

"Yeah. I can't really explain them. I guess they're those…whatcha call 'em…awake dreams." Spike snapped his fingers as the idea came to him.

"Awake dreams?" Faye repeated nonchalantly.

"I know it sounds crazy but, you gotta help me out here. I'll be in the shower, and suddenly BAM, I get a flash of waking up next to you naked." Spike grasped his cranium as if to aid the thought process.

Faye took a sip of her apple juice, trying her best not to show outward signs of being worried about his 'flashes.' "Look, Spike, I'm not interested in your fantasies, so if you want help on how to add some variety to your daydreams, I suggest you pick up the nearest _Hustler_ and leave me out of it, k'thanks."

"Ha! You wish!" Spike snorted as he fiddled with the bowl of peanuts on the bar counter.

"I'm not the one having naked fantasies. At least not about _you_." Faye smirked and then lazily leaned against the counter, gazing at the ceiling with a dreamy smile. "Ah, Ryan Gosling. How you torment me so."

"Ugh, ok, look I'm pretty damn sure that I remember gathering my clothes up from your bedroom floor and then sneaking out the back in a drunken haze, so what are we gonna do about this?" Spike pressed.

Faye shrugged her shoulders casually. She was growing quite weary of the conversation, but she would be lying if she were to say that she wasn't equally curious to find out what happened that night.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) They say ignorance is bliss. But no one takes into account its ugly cousin…blind speculation, which is like being stuck in mental purgatory. And yes, in case you were wondering, I have been losing sleep over this. It's just beautiful, really. (-_-)**

Just then, a thought came to Spike as he jolted himself upright. "I got it!" He brightened.

"What?" Faye yawned.

"We're surrounded by a bunch of otherworldly freaks of nature! Demons, witches or what have you. Why don't we just ask one of them to work their mojo on us and make us remember?" Spike suggested.

"You think that it would work?" Faye scratched her chin.

"Hiei did it. That's how we were able to fully remember the BLEEP you and your team pulled during 'Frozen Solid.'" Spike stated the last portion of his sentence with a hint of ire and disgust.

"Hmm, I see where you're going with this." Faye nodded.

"So the question is, who on your team is an otherworldly freak of nature with knowledge of the supernatural?" Spike prodded.

_**Moments later…**_

"Now, you want me to do what exactly?" Botan furrowed her brows in confusion as she sat on the couch in front of Spike and Faye who positioned themselves on the coffee table in front of her.

"Well…" Spike hesitated. He didn't know how to word his request without giving away too many details regarding him and Faye.

"Here's the thing, Botan," Faye began, "you see, Spike here thinks he may have misplaced his gun somewhere in our villa after Bra's party."

"Oh my goodness." Botan gasped.

"Yes, so you see the crucial nature of this request here. He would never forgive himself if one of the girls were to find it and accidentally injure themselves." Faye put on her best innocent routine.

"I see. Yes, that would be awful." Botan agreed as she studied the ground pensively. "Alright then! I'll see what I can do!"

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) Ha! There's one born every minute!**

_**Morning in White Shore…**_

Yusuke had gathered most of the boys into the common area of their villa to discuss the content of the email that he had received the previous night. Most of them had difficulty believing what he had told them, so he felt that it would be best for them to all see for themselves. He sat on the couch with his laptop resting on the coffee table as the boys gathered around him to see if what he had told them was indeed true. "Honestly, why would I lie about something like that, guys?" Yusuke asked with an annoyed sigh as he attempted to log into his email account.

"Well, can you blame us?" Yzak added. "After all, a story like that is quite elaborate."

"It's not a story!" Yusuke snapped. "Damn it Yzak, you made me type my password wrong!"

"How is it my fault that you can't talk and type at the same time?" Yzak questioned with a biting tone.

"Great! Now I gotta put in this stupid CAPTCHA!" Yusuke growled.

"What the hell is that, hieroglyphics?" Inuyasha squinted to get a clearer view of the CAPTCHA. He watched as Yusuke made a failed attempt to enter the mess of what they assumed were supposed to be letters and numbers.

"Arrgggh! I HATE this BLEEP! It's so unnecessarily complicated. " Yusuke grumbled.

"I know," Kira started, "I personally prefer the ones that make you do basic math. These are just ridiculous." He cringed as Yusuke failed the second CAPTCHA, the other boy cursing as he did so.

"fBLEEP!" Yusuke furiously slammed the palm of his hand on the coffee table.

**Kira: Gundam SEED (Guys) Whoever's responsible for the CAPTCHA idea deserves ten minutes in a room with Sesshomaru. **

Finally solving the unintelligible CAPTCHA image, Yusuke logged into his email client and clicked on the message of the hour. "Read that." He gestured toward his teammates who all closed in to get a better view of the screen.

"Oh, wow." Athrun gulped as he and many others found the content rather hard to digest.

"Is this for real?" Duo widened his eyes in shock.

Yusuke released an inaudible sigh. "I've got a pretty good feeling that it is. In fact, I had suspected something like this the day we started this competition."

"Hmm," Miroku was especially distraught with the information, "so it appears there's more to this competition than we had initially thought."

"Yeah," Yusuke began, "and that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. If this is what's in store for the final challenge, eliminations are going to have to go a lot differently."

"What are you suggesting?" Heero raised.

"Well, only two people are going to make it to the final challenge. And those two individuals are gonna have to be able to deal with something like this." Yusuke was sincere.

"I understand." Heero responded flatly.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) This new information is surprising. However, I can understand why Yusuke would have to change the elimination method. After all, this competition has from the beginning been about winning. And that's exactly what he's hoping to do.**

"So wait," Dearka began, "are you gonna tell the girls about this?"

"Umm, why would I tell the girls about this?" Yusuke frowned.

"Well, I dunno, I just thought you'd know…want them to be prepared, too." Dearka shrugged.

"Nah, if anyone needs to be prepared for this, it's me. And _only_ me." Yusuke closed his laptop and stood up then. "Look, I'm not trying to be rude guys, but we gotta face the facts here. No more games. No more dicking around during challenges. It's time to be serious." He saw them all nod, pleased that they all understood and were willing to comply with the new game plan.

"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do." Ed was supportive. "If it were me, I'd do the exact same thing. So I'm completely backing you on this one, Yusuke."

"Thanks, Ed." Yusuke smiled. "Everyone else good?" The rest of the team confirmed their agreement. "Good, then this meeting is adjourned."

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Hey, it sucks, but I trust that Yusuke's going to ultimately do what's best for all of us. He's a real team player. So I'm putting my faith fully in whatever decisions he may make in the future.**

The boys all scattered out of the common area, shuffling to various rooms of the villa. Dearka noticed that Duo appeared annoyed. He assumed the other boy wasn't as enthused about Yusuke's deviation from the way they had been playing the game. He himself wasn't too thrilled about the change, but he knew that Yusuke had to do what he had to do. "Hey man, you cool?" Dearka questioned Duo as he headed up the stairs to his and Heero's room.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." Duo sighed.

Studying the boy further, Dearka soon picked up that it wasn't the competition that had him in such a funk. He was, after all, an expert on this version of despondence. "Female problems?"

Duo could only stop in front of his bedroom door and shake his head somberly. "I just…I don't know."

"Look, whatever it is that some chick is giving you hell about, just give her some space and she'll get over it." Dearka advised.

"So is that what you're doing with Bra? Giving her _space_?" Duo teased the blond Coordinator.

"What? No. Bra and I aren't in a relationship. We just hooked up after her party." Dearka brushed the subject off.

"Yeah, ok." Duo smirked knowingly.

"No, I'm serious, dude. I know better than to get wrapped up with a girl like Bra. Something like that can only end one of two ways: involuntary castration or maiming beyond recognition." Dearka reassured.

"What the…when the hell would castration ever be _voluntary_?" Duo's face contorted at the thought.

"You've never seen the BME Pain Olympics? Where have you been, a cave?" Dearka half-laughed.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) Bra is psycho. Plain and simple. Unfortunately, that's what makes her so good at other…**_**activities**_**. I swear, it's always the crazy ones.**

…_**Hey! You're a crazy bitch, but you f*** so good I'm on top of it. When I dream, I'm doing you all night. Scratches all down my back to keep me right on…**_

"Ugh, I don't even wanna know." Duo stated sourly. "Look, it's nothing worth talking about. We just all need to concentrate on what Yusuke learned about the final challenge. Comprende mi amigo?"

"Whatever." Dearka sighed as he turned back toward the stairs.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Why do women always have to over-complicate things? See now, this is going to screw with my head all day. Message to all the ladies out there…stop screwing with our heads! Our brains are already working over the recommended capacity trying to figure out what the hell you want! Enough already! *MAN PAIN***

In the boys' game room, Ed and Winry decided that it was finally time to discuss what happened during the 'Gladiator' challenge. Winry nervously perched herself on a bar stool twiddling the frayed edges of her blue jean shorts as she tried to avoid meeting eyes with the blond alchemist. Ed leaned against the pool table across from her, folding his arms as he fixated his attention on the dart board next to the bar.

The room was still and silent for what seemed to be an eternity before Winry finally decided to break the ice to the best of her ability. "So…" Winry began.

"So…" Ed echoed.

"You guys are, really kicking our butts out there, huh?" Winry chuckled.

"You really wanna bring up the fact that you're losing as a way to ease the obvious tension?" Ed cocked an eye.

"Is it sad that I think talking about the competition is less difficult than what we _really_ came here to talk about?" Winry wrung her hands anxiously.

"Not at all." Ed sighed. The room was silent once again, and the awkwardness was becoming irritating, especially for Winry.

"Ugh, this is stupid." Winry raised her hands in exasperation.

"Tell me about it." Ed agreed. He then decided to just cut to the chase. "I just wanna know one thing, Winry. Did you just say what you said to distract me so you could win?"

Winry could only stare back at him with an unreadable expression. She parted her lips to speak but then stopped herself. She had to be smart about this.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) Okay. I could've very well told him the truth and if I didn't know any better, I could've sworn that he looked like he almost **_**wanted**_** my little confession to be genuine. But I realize that we're in a competition, here. **

"Umm," Winry smiled tightly, "I guess, I wasn't as convincing as I thought. Clearly, acting is not my strong suit."

"So, you didn't mean it?" Ed pushed.

"Nope. Not a word of it. You guessed it. I was trying to distract you, but you were too smart to fall for it I guess, because I ended up losing anyway." She laughed nervously, internally praying that he would buy it.

There was yet another moment of silence before the sound of Ed's laughter reverberated throughout the room. "Wow! I gotta say, you almost had me there! You're not as bad of an actress as you think! I'm mean, you having feelings for me?"

"I know!" Winry played along. "Crazy right? You didn't actually believe me did you? It was like the only thing I could think of that would throw you off your game."

"Well, you definitely managed to do that, for sure. Win or no win, I was completely thrown off. I mean, you having feelings for me would be crazier than any of the challenges we've endured in this competition so far." Ed scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Definitely." Winry shook her head. "I should head back to my villa and try to regroup before the next challenge. Catch ya later!" Winry waved as she exited the game room, the bright expression that she wore upon her face faltering the moment her back was to him.

**Ed: Full Metal Alchemist (Guys) Well that's a relief. I can't imagine having to deal with something like that and focus on winning this competition. I totally believe her, by the way. That entire conversation wasn't a smokescreen at all. *BLANK STARE***

Kurama was once again absorbed in a mystery novel as he relaxed on his bed, trying to get lost in the world that existed on the pages. The information that Yusuke had told them all from the email hadn't bothered the kitsune in the least. In fact, much like Yusuke, he had quite suspected it from the beginning. His cell phone vibrated on the nightstand beside his bed indicating that he had received a text message. He mentally noted that it was the fourth one that morning. Even still, he didn't bother to read it and only continued to read his novel, turning another page and sinking deeper into its world of fiction. Whatever it was, it would just have to wait.

Hiei then entered the room standing at the end of his roommate's bed. "Kurama."

"Oh, good morning Hiei. Do you need something?" Kurama greeted.

"We've received our message from the producers about our next challenge. We must be ready to leave by 11am sharp." Hiei informed.

"Thank you, Hiei. I'll be down in just a moment." Kurama assured with a warm smile. He then placed his novel carefully over his cell phone on the nightstand. Swinging his legs over the side, he then stood to his feet and exited the room.

Hiei had noticed Kurama's interesting placement of his novel over his cell phone. He narrowed his eyes slightly toward the door, watching as Kurama headed for the stairs. Once Kurama cleared the hallway, Hiei set his attention back to the other's nightstand. He then walked over to remove the book and unveiled the kitsune's cell phone. Picking it up, he read what he noticed was 1 of 4 text messages from Lacus on the screen: _'Why are you ignoring my calls?'_ Hiei furrowed a brow upon reading the message before placing it back in its position under Kurama's novel. Just then, his own cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Viewing the screen, he quickly typed a message back and returned the device back to his pocket before leaving the room. He didn't know what to make of what he saw on Kurama's phone, but could only claim small victory for the fact that Kurama was clearly not reciprocating her efforts at making contact.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Perhaps that girl should take a hint and concentrate on digging her own team out of their hole of failure and shame.**

_**16**__**th**__** Challenge: Totally Puzzled**_

The challengers all arrived to a large two-story building. From the signs posted outside they learned that it was a recreational center. The gym, arcade, and swimming area were giveaways as well. Jonny and Brad stood centered in the gym, surrounded by small booth like contraptions. They assumed that the booths were part of the challenge. "Hey guys!" Jonny waved with a bright smile.

"So are our lives in danger once again?" Kagome questioned carefully. "I don't see any medics on site so I'm not sure if that's a good sign or a bad sign."

"Actually, Kagome, it's a good sign." Jonny assured. "The Powers That Be decided to give you guys a break today believe it or not. So no, your lives are not in danger this time." He heard a collection of sighs of relief, mostly from the girls. Eying both teams, he noticed that the boys were acting very strangely. They were quiet, however, so he didn't push the issue and instead continued on with explaining the challenge. "Today, the only thing that needs to be strong is your brain." Jonny gestured toward his cranium. "You will be competing against each other at the same time to solve a cipher puzzle. Is anyone not familiar with what a cipher puzzle is?" Jonny noticed that a few players raised their hands. "The basic concept is that each puzzle contains a hidden message. The puzzle looks like a collection of random letters, however, each letter is actually a variable for a letter in the hidden message." Jonny continued his explanation.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) I've done cipher puzzles before. I had a whole book of them to keep me entertained at downtime during the war, so I'm pretty good at them. I was actually more scared for the less…ahem, intelligent members of our team. Like Serena, for example. I mean the poor girl thinks the International Date Line is a matchmaking service for crying out loud.**

Jonny went on to explain the point distribution and timing for the challenge. "The maximum time for this challenge is 1 hour. Once you're done with your cipher, you'll slam your buzzer stopping your personal clocks. A judge will then check for accuracy and clear you. The most points that can be earned from this challenge are 100 points for your personal scores, and 200 points for your team scores." Jonny waited for a moment as he watched the aforementioned judges post themselves next to a cipher booth.

"Every ten minutes, though, your personal scores decrease by ten points. So, if someone finishes their puzzle before ten minutes have passed, they earn 100 points for themselves, and 200 points for the team. If you finish in twenty minutes, you'll earn 80 points for yourselves and 180 points for your team. If you finish in thirty minutes, you'll earn 70 points for yourselves and 170 points for your team, and so on and so forth." Jonny finished. "The team who clears all of their puzzles before time runs out first, wins. There are no DQs for this challenge. However, once time has run out, the team with the less players left still solving puzzles, wins the challenge."

It was then Brad's turn to announce the prize and starting scores. "Today's winner will get the Chibi Wolf Hero and this team prize." Brad then unveiled a small box with the _Amazon_ logo on it. "An _Amazon_ Kindle Fire, with a bonus pre-download of the #1 _New York Times_ Bestseller _Fifty Shades of Grey_!"

"Oh BLEEP me." Ryoko groaned.

**Ryoko: Tenchi Universe (Gals) I've heard about that book. I've read excerpts from that book. I do NOT want that book. They're gonna have to do better than that if they want me to be motivated to win. Seriously!**

"Ladies you have a starting score of 70,458 and fellas, you're starting off with 100,749." The challenge seemed simple enough, and even more so for Bra and her crew to enact Phase 2 of their plan against Keiko. Bra slid her way behind Hilde, tapping the other girl on the shoulder to gain her attention. "Hey." Bra whispered fervently to the ex-OZ soldier.

"Yeah?" Hilde whispered back.

"I think you'd do better next to Keiko." Bra gave the other girl a knowing wink, to which Hilde nodded with a smirk.

The other girls noticed that the boys were behaving very strangely once they arrived on site. For one, they didn't seem excited at all, but instead appeared despondent and withdrawn. They were silent the entire time Jonny explained the challenge. One would think that they would at least have protested the challenge prize as it was hard to imagine them being excited at the prospect of winning mommy porn, but nothing. They were completely dead panned.

Serena had been curious about Sachiya's absence from the challenges for quite some time now, and was beginning to worry. "Jonny, will Sachiya be back soon?"

Jonny appeared flustered for a moment by Serena's question. "I-I don't know." He stated quickly and proceeded to instruct the challengers further on the game.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) You know what, I'm thinking that Sachiya probably got fired and MTV doesn't wanna discuss the issue while the cameras are running. They'll probably even delete this confessional! See, that's my problem with employers and how they tend to treat their employees unfairly! And MTV is no different! I bet-**

***SCREEN CUTS OFF AND GOES FUZZY***

**[Insert cheesy music here]**

_**MTV IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES! WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE**_

As per their plan, Hilde made certain to position herself next to Keiko during the challenge. The attack was strong but subtle as Jonny blew his horn signifying that the clock had started ticking. "So Keiko, you ever done one of these before?" Hilde began, casually.

"I've dabbled with a few out of boredom, yes." Keiko responded as she used her cipher guide to aid her in solving the puzzle.

"Yeah, I've never done one of these before. I've heard of them, but I'm more of a Sudoku gal, myself." Hilde added as she continued to examine her puzzle.

"It's not really that hard. Once you figure out which letter is which, it becomes easier and easier. But I guess some people consider them less fun and more annoying." Keiko shrugged.

"Ooh, speaking of annoying," Hilde began innocently, "how are you dealing with that Champagne and Yusuke thing?" She was sure that she saw Keiko visibly tense up at the mention of the blond stripper.

"Ugh, don' t remind me," Keiko growled as she paused from her puzzle to stare at it briefly, "I can't believe Yusuke would do such a thing."

"Well, he _is _a guy, it's what they do. And after seeing the set of fun bags she was sporting, can't say the poor guy stood a chance." Hilde half-chuckled.

"What, so because she has…endowments, his behavior is excusable?" Keiko spared Hilde a glance.

"No, I'm not saying that, I'm saying that it's to be expected. He's a guy." Hilde could tell that her words were getting to Keiko as the other found it hard to concentrate on her puzzle. So as not to seem suspicious she made sure to bring Keiko back to Earth. "Hey, don't forget about your puzzle. The last thing we need is to have the guys wrecking our game up."

"Oh, right." Keiko blinked as she returned to her puzzle.

Hilde's plan of distraction seemed to work with no problem as she, Android 18, Lacus, Ryoko, and Bra all finished their puzzles before Keiko. As a result, Keiko ended up only earning 60 points for herself with Bra earning 90, Ryoko 80, and Hilde earning 70. It was so ingenious, that Keiko even obliviously congratulated Hilde when the other girl finished her puzzle before her. Hilde could only spare Bra a knowing wink, Phase 2 of their plan was coming to a quick and successful close as all three girls drew closer on Keiko's heels with their scores.

"This…this is extremely confusing." Kagome groaned.

"Not really." Miriallia started. "Go for the small words first. Like the ones that are 1-3 letters long. Those are fairly easy to solve as the ones that are only one letter can either be the letter 'A' or the letter 'I' right?"

"Right." Kagome nodded.

"So then it's like a process of elimination. From there go to the words that are two letters long. And those can only be either the words, 'to' 'at' 'an' 'no' 'by' 'of' 'it' 'is' 'am' 'as' 'do…'"

"Okay, that's a lot of two-letter words!" Kagome lamented.

"Well those are the most frequently used ones. There are a lot more two-letter words to be honest." Miriallia stated.

"I'm getting a headache." Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Don't worry Kagome! You'll figure it out! You don't necessarily have to be John Nash to figure out a cipher." Miriallia encouraged.

"I still have a headache." Kagome sighed as she attempted to solve her puzzle.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Well, I know what major I for sure don't want in college. Cryptology! Give me math any day of the week. That was beyond ridiculous!**

The boys had been so quiet during the challenge that the girls had forgotten that they were even there. This had never happened before, and they were becoming worried. "Keiko," Botan began, "do you notice anything strange about the boys?"

"You mean the fact that they're acting like zombies? No, I didn't notice it at all." Keiko replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"What do you suppose it is? It's like the moment they arrived to the challenge they started acting this way." Botan scratched her chin.

"I don't know. But I'm betting it's done on purpose. Maybe it's a new battle strategy. They want us to worry about them. Well I say we're not falling for it. If anything, their silence is a blessing!" Keiko huffed as she turned on her heels and headed for the vending machines. There were still a few competitors in the game, and considering who they were –Serena, Fllay, Miroku, Inuyasha and Koga- she was certain they had the remaining 25 minutes to spare on the clock.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) Puzzles aren't really my thing. I prefer my opposition to be capable of bleeding if you know what I mean.**

Serena finally managed to surprise her teammates and solved her puzzle before Fllay, leaving only one girl to three boys once time had run out on the clock. It had finally happened. Though it was a small victory, it was a victory nonetheless, and they took it as they jumped up and down, cheering their celebratory chants.

"Alright, great challenge today folks!" Jonny announced. "Guys, you finish with a score of 103,549. But the winner for 'Totally Puzzled…' the ladies with a final score of 73,458! Chibi Wolf Hero goes to Android 18 for finishing in the quickest time. I guess it pays to have the brain of a computer, huh?"

"Yep!" Android 18 replied curtly as she grabbed the small plushie and spared her teammates a triumphant smile.

"Okay, Inner Circles. It's time to make your decisions on who you're gonna send home tonight. Everyone gather back here in five minutes for eliminations." Jonny instructed as he and Brad proceeded to help the crew take down the puzzle booths.

Everyone noticed that the boys remained expressionless and showed no emotion toward their loss of the challenge. The girls had expected them to whine or at the very least pout, but they were once again met with silence. It was all very strange.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) The boys were acting very strange. They were showing very little emotion while being very esoteric and socially awkward. In other words, they were behaving like the average, typical, male Anime character. Yawn.**

_**Eliminations…**_

"So ladies, have you decided who you're sending home tonight?" Jonny started as he locked eyes with Faye.

"Yes. We have decided to send Fllay home due to her having the lowest score." Faye answered simply. She could hear the gasps coming from her other teammates as Fllay stepped out from the crowd.

"Right." Fllay began sourly. "It's because 'I have the lowest score.' Whatever."

"Well, you do, Fllay." Pan frowned. "Look at the board for sobbing out loud. You're like 300 points behind Serena."

"Newsflash, I've been like '300 points' behind Serena for a long time. It's just interesting that you guys are suddenly deciding to stop overlooking it now." Fllay continued to complain.

"What can I say? We finally grew a pair of tits. Get over it and go home already!" Pan snapped to which Fllay could only roll her eyes and storm off toward one of the transportation vans.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) She's had the lowest score for like five challenges now! You would think she'd be grateful that'd we've given her so many chances to pull it up! I am SO not going to miss her!**

"Okay, fellas? Who are you sending home tonight?" Jonny regarded the boys' Inner Circle."

"Yzak." Yusuke stated plainly. The silver-haired Coordinator, said nothing and only saluted his team before heading toward the transportation van that held Fllay. The area was silent for a moment as everyone watched the boy clear the area before Jonny decided to speak once more. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, today was a pretty laidback day. A wonderful way to start the weekend, I think. So enjoy your weekend, and we'll see you back on Monday!"

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) Not that I'm complaining but, they eliminated Yzak? What's going on with them? He doesn't have the lowest score.**

_**Back at Starfish…**_

Hilde, Ryoko, and Bra sat in Hilde's room discussing the Inner Circle's decision to finally eliminate Fllay. They were beyond ecstatic that their leaders had exercised logic and seemed to be making choices that were for the betterment of the team, as opposed to whatever the heck else they had been doing prior to. "I gotta say, I'm impressed." Hilde sighed as she plopped down on her bed. "Maybe our infiltration is no longer needed seeing as they've finally come to their senses and eliminated the player with the lowest score."

"No!" Bra immediately rejected the idea. "We should continue as planned and take them down."

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals) I truly just want the power to do what I want when it comes to eliminations, as if that wasn't obvious.**

"You know," Ryoko began musedly, "the boys didn't stick to their M.O. and eliminate the player with the lowest score."

"Oh wow, you're right." Hilde nodded. "What's up with that?"

"I have no idea, but it's weird." Bra furrowed her brow. "Spike was actually the one with the lowest score and Yzak was right above him. I wonder if they made a mistake."

"I'm not sure," Hilde shook her head, "considering how strangely the boys were acting today, it's no telling what was going through their heads." The room was overwhelmed with silence as all three girls thought about exactly what was going on with the boys and what it meant for their team, if anything.

Downstairs, the rest of the girls were all celebrating their win. It had seemed like forever since they had won a challenge and they were embracing the moment as if it were the last. "Listen up!" Keiko began as she stood centered in the common area with a virgin frozen strawberry margarita that Android 18 had been nice enough to prepare for them all. Well, she had to specifically request a virgin considering that according to Android 18 'a margarita isn't a margarita without the tequila,' but whatever. "Alright ladies, we finally showed the boys what we were made of but let's not get cocky because we're not out of the woods yet. We still have a lot of work to do!"

"Keiko," Android 18 began, "quick question. Are you and the Inner Circle finally going to go with the easiest, and frankly wisest, elimination tactic and just send the players with the lowest scores home?"

"Yep, we sure are 18!" Keiko affirmed. "It's time to get serious. We _have_ to win, and I'm determined for that to happen."

**Android 18: Dragonball GT (Gals) Keiko's just fired up about that situation between Yusuke and Champagne. But whatever gets them to start thinking like soldiers, I'm fully on board with it. That whiny, vindictive BLEEP was coming dangerously close to turning me into an evil, psychotic, mass murderer again.**

In the girls pool house, there was another kind of party taking place. Botan was in the process of conducting a spell to restore Spike and Faye's memories of all the events that occurred after Bra's birthday party. The spell was similar to Hiei's but different considering that her supplies came from the Spirit World and not Makai.

"Okay, so I need you both to sit in front of a lit candle." Botan instructed.

"Ugh," Faye gagged, "these candles smell awful! What the hell is that?"

"It's the essence of a deity." Botan explained.

"What kind of essence? Ass essence?" Faye shrieked. She noticed Botan raise her eyebrows as if to silently answer her question. "Oh that is just gross!"

"Yes, well, that's one of the many aspects of magic. At times, it tends to be quite gross. Now close your eyes, and focus on that night." Botan then placed a few ingredients into a bowl that was centered before them and watched as the contents of the bowl set itself ablaze. The smoke from the materials then rushed through Botan and out once more into both Faye and Spike, awakening their minds to events that had been hidden and forgotten.

"_Alright, five card draw because I'm way too drunk to bet more rounds than that!" Spike shouted with a hiccup and a lazy chuckle as he and Faye propped themselves on her bed preparing to play a game of poker._

_Faye took a swig of _Kahlua_ as she shuffled through the deck of cards. "Okay, but I'm dealing. Remember, I used to do this as a profession!" Faye demanded with a drunken slur._

"_You also used to cheat so hell no, BLEEP that! Gimme those cards!" Spike snatched the cards from Faye and started to shuffle them lazily. "Five card draw!"_

"_You…you said that already!" Faye took another swig from her bottle of _Kahlua_._

"_Oh…right." Spike chuckled._

"_You are so wasted. Which means that you are soooo gonna lose!" Faye teased with a hiccup._

"_Whatever!"_

The flashbacks were coming at them in segments, but it didn't take much for their memories to slowly return to them as they figured out exactly what they were seeing.

"_HA! I win! Lose the shirt!" Faye laughed in a rather obnoxiously drunken manner._

"_Whatever!" Spike grumbled as he shimmied out of his shirt being left in nothing but his boxers, while Faye remained mostly covered in her strapless bra and panties. Apparently, strip poker was proving to be a close competition between the two players._

_They both continued to drink and play their game, eventually getting down to being completely nude. Faye placed her losing hand down on the bed as she kicked her underwear bottoms off onto the floor. There they were, completely unclothed, flushed and hot from all of the alcohol that they had consumed that night. They stared at one another, mentally noting the other's bodies as their eyes washed up and down each other's forms. It wasn't until then that their alcohol impaired minds had registered that they were both very much so naked. Locking eyes once more, they could only blink before bursting into hysterical laughter at seeing each other in the buff. They laughed and pointed like five year olds until they both passed out on Faye's bed, their immediate snoring signifying that they were out for the night._

After the spell was complete, Faye and Spike could only stare at each other before falling to their knees and thanking God. "Oh whatever you want me to do, I am your eternal humble servant!" Spike pleaded to the heavens.

"I promise to never mix tequila and whiskey ever again! Never! Thank you for showing me mercy!" Faye clasped her hands together and smiled toward the ceiling.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Now God, if you could just get that porn star that decided to take my name to change it to something more within her breeding, that'd be perfect!**

Botan shook her head as she gathered her supplies. "I hope you're both happy now."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Spike and Faye fervently agreed.

Botan released a sigh as she headed for the pool house's exit. "Oh and Spike," she began, "I had forgotten what a nice bottom you had since our 'pink hair prank.'"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you saw the flashes?" Spike asked nervously.

"Bingo!" Botan perked.

"I don't believe this." Spike palmed his forehead.

"The spell had to draw its power from someone with strong spirit energy, i.e. _me_. Of course I saw them." Botan winked causing Spike to turn beet red as she and Faye exited the pool house giggling like a couple of teenagers.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) Well, at least nothing happened between me and Faye. I'd never be able to live with myself. Now to call Julia and forget this whole thing ever happened! Because that's what women do in these situations, of course. *DELUSIONAL***

Lacus sat by the pool somberly staring at her cell phone. She had been concerned with Kurama's attitude all day. She had thought that maybe whatever was bothering the boys was also bothering him, but something just didn't feel right. Taking a breath, she decided to dial him once more. To her surprise, he actually answered.

"_Hello?"_ Came Kurama's voice from the other end.

"Oh my, there you are. For a moment, I was worried you'd been abducted." She joked. There was an awkward silence before Kurama spoke.

"_What do you want, Lacus?"_ Kurama asked curtly.

She mentally noted his tone but chose to overlook it instead. "Why have you been ignoring my calls?" She asked softly.

"_I've been busy. I have my own team to worry about, too." _Kurama explained coldly.

"I understand that, but you could at least text me or something to let me know that you're busy and will get back to me later. Instead you choose to send me to voicemail which means that you're ignoring my calls." Lacus was sincere. She wanted to know exactly what was going on with him, and why he had changed on her so suddenly.

Kurama was silent for a while, not even the sound of him breathing could be heard urging Lacus to confirm that he was still there. "Hello? Kurama?"

"_I don't owe you any explanations." _Kurama replied darkly.

Lacus was confused. She didn't understand why he was being so mean to her. What had she done? "Are you angry with me?" Lacus questioned carefully.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) He was just behaving so strangely toward me. I began to think that maybe my behavior toward him after he told me the story of his past had hurt his feelings in some way. I just didn't know what could have possibly been wrong with him. Do demons go through…well, monthly 'difficulties?' I'm still not sure how exactly they operate.**

"Kurama, if this is about the way I acted after you told me about your past, I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have treated you any differently because of that." Lacus swallowed the lump that was developing in her throat.

"_I'm not angry. I'm tired. We've had a long day." _Kurama responded flatly.

"I understand the confliction that it caused with the two of us being friends and spending time together, but I don't see how said confliction should be a good reason to terminate our friendship." Lacus voice was slightly pleading. "Miriallia, Kira, Yusuke, Keiko, Botan, Ed, Winry, and so many others still maintain their friendship while being on opposing teams. So why can't we?" Kurama was silent once again and Lacus called out to him once more. "Kurama?"

"_I'm tired. Goodnight, Lacus." _And with that, he quickly hung up from her, ending their conversation.

Lacus was beyond hurt by his attitude as she absently held her cell phone to her chest. She fought back her tears, not understanding why he had to be so mean to her. She could understand not wanting to hang out during the competition and maybe even coming to an agreement to do so. But she couldn't imagine just not being friends anymore because of everything that had happened. A thought then came to her, and it terrified her immensely. "Maybe, his Yoko half has come to the surface." The thought truly did frighten her. Unable to hold back tears, she buried her face in her hands as the pool lights clicked on, dusk fast approaching.

Unbeknownst to Lacus, Kurama had been watching her cry from his bedroom. His expression was unreadable as he leaned his forehead on the cool glass of his window. He watched her for a while until he felt another presence enter the room.

"Fox," Hiei's voice cut through the silence, "Yusuke needs you downstairs."

Kurama cast the Fire Demon a lazy smile before nodding and heading towards Yusuke who was currently in the kitchen. Hiei watched as the kitsune passed him and headed out of the door. Knowing all too well when Kurama is hiding something, Hiei then ventured over to their bedroom window to see what the other had been looking at. His crimson eyes then fell upon Lacus sitting by the girls' pool as she continued to weep silent tears. Hiei then absently looked back at the door where Kurama had just left, shaking his head slightly.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It appears that the fox is not out of his hole yet.**

End chapter

* * *

**Next Chapter: Ch.25** **"The Beating of Your Heart" - **Hiei challenges Kurama's loyalty to their team as Lacus wages full on war against the kitsune. Meanwhile, Bra threatens Hilde and Ryoko who no longer see the point in going against the Inner Circle.


	25. The Beating of Your Heart, Baby!

A/N: Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaaaack! This is officially the final installment to what has now been designated my summer reader. I had planned to get this up and running around the same time that MTVs 23rd season of The Challenge premiered but, meh, when do things ever go according to plan in life? For those of you who haven't been made aware on my old tumblr blog, I am scheduled to make a trip to Japan at the end of this month for my job. So I gotta say, I do plan on doing some writing in the Land of the Rising Sun because what better place to gain inspiration right? Anyway, I won't be ranting long, just know that I appreciate those of you who've checked back in with this story over the years and hope that you enjoy these final chapters! So without further ado...let's get this ish started!

**Disclaimer: **See like the first 10 chapters. I'm too lazy for this at this point. You know by now that I don't own these characters, lol. Crap, I ended up doing a disclaimer anyway. BLEEP!

**Song(s) Disclaimer: **"New Workout Plan" by Kanye West; "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch; "Fallen" by Sarach MacLachlan; "Run the World (Girls)" by Beyoncé

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 25: The Beating of Your Heart, Baby!**

_**Early Morning in Starfish…**_

The climate was humid and mild in the early morning hours as a few of the members from the girls' team were getting themselves in physical shape to hopefully continue their win from the previous challenge. They had criticized the boys for their militant workout routines at the butt-crack of dawn, but as time went on, they had decided that maybe staying physically fit for the competition was probably not the worst idea. In fact it was a _great_ idea.

Surprisingly, the idea sprung forth at a team meeting the previous night from one of the most unlikely parties: Lacus Clyne. The girl seemed determined and strangely aloof for some reason since their last challenge. No one could figure out why, but it went without saying that she was beginning to give Bra a run for her money.

_**Girls' Team Meeting: Previous Night…**_

"Okay ladies, we done good this round!" Pan started as she sat before her teammates in the common area. They all seemed pleased with the Inner Circle's decision to finally start eliminating players with the lowest score. Sure it took them years and an embarrassing amount of challenge losses to realize such a simple concept, but it was better late than never. "This doesn't mean that we can get cocky, though. We've gotta really get on our A-game if we're gonna catch up to the boys. I mean, we've still got like a 30,000 point difference between us, and that simply will not do." Pan held up her index finger, wagging it back and forth in a 'tsk' motion to emphasize her disapproval.

"Right," Keiko interjected, "we've got to come together and establish a plan of action. Before you know it, this competition will be down to the final 3, and if the gap between us and the boys is still a runaway, we'll be a national laughing stock."

"I thought we already _were_ a national laughing stock." Kagome added with a wry smile.

Faye rolled her eyes at Kagome's comment. "Tabloid gossip doesn't count. MTV will do anything to get ratings for this god awful show. And the best way to gain viewership is, believe it or not, to pick a team to hate on."

Serena's eyes lowered upon hearing such a painful truth. "So, you're saying that we're the hated team? But…why?" Serena was on the verge of tears.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) After all of the horrible, crude things that the guys have done since we started this competition, namely to us, how could we **_**possibly**_** be the most hated team by the viewers? It doesn't make any sense! What does it take to get America's approval and praise? Fart jokes and substance abuse?**

**MTV Producer: More tits.**

**Serena: What?**

**MTV Producer: Nothing.**

**Serena: …**

"I dunno, S," Faye sighed, "welcome to the harsh, cruel, logic-free, world of reality television."

"So that means that… the viewers are rooting for the _boys_ to win?" Sango shook her head in disbelief.

"Yep." Faye leaned her back against the kitchenette counter as she lazily sipped her cranberry and vodka. "Oh, but don't be _too_ disappointed. Our team did get some love. In an online poll on _Zap 2 it_, when asked to pick their favorite player, viewers chose…and I kid you not…Bra." Faye wasn't at all surprised by the collective sounds of choking and gasps along with the occasional 'what the BLEEP' that filtered throughout the common area of their villa.

"I literally hate this whole show." Android 18 grumbled as she took a much needed swig from her beer can.

"Hey, where is Bra, anyway?" Aeka observed. She noticed that the blue-haired Saiyan princess was missing.

"We're having a team meeting," Keiko answered dryly, "she's anywhere but where she's been instructed to be."

"Oh, yes. I suppose that was silly of me. Carry on then." Aeka chuckled.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I've noticed that Bra has been conveniently absent for all of our team meetings. She makes no effort to work together with the rest of us, but the second we struggle in a competition, she's the most vocal about it. Yeah, I can definitely see why the viewers love her **_**so**_** much. *ROLLS EYES***

"Anyway, that's not important," Keiko redirected the conversation, "what _is_ important is how we're going to shape up to improve ourselves in this competition."

"War." Came Lacus' flat tone, suddenly.

"What was that, Lacus?" Cagalli had to nudge the pink-haired girl to speak up. Even sitting right next to her as she was, the other could barely be heard.

"I said _war_." Lacus spoke again. "We need to go to war."

Faye was intrigued. "Hmm, go on."

"The boys have been doing it right. They've been focused on the win. They employed their skills as soldiers, warriors, and trained fighters. They've channeled everything they know about battle into this competition. They've been ruthless, cold, and manipulative all for the sake of this game. Meanwhile, we've done nothing but bicker with one another and worse yet…fall into their trap. As a result, they have been defeating us with hardly any difficulty, and we've allowed it to happen because we've been foolish and naïve." Lacus stood to her feet then, the look in her eyes unlike anything they had seen before. Her blue orbs, usually so warm and inviting, held such darkness and grim determination.

She made her way to the center of the common area, all of their eyes glued upon her small form as she spoke with a chilling tone. "Enough. Enough of falling for their tricks. Enough of going against one another. Now is the time to come together as warriors. We are strong as, if not stronger than, they will ever dream to be. Yet they do not believe it. They do not believe that they can be defeated by us, because we are female. And as females we tend to think with our hearts. Well it is my sincere belief that the heart, when properly trained, can be the strongest component of the human body. They think that it's a weakness. I think that it's a strength. _Our_ strength." Her eyes changed, then. The pupils had become small and constricted, appearing to be barely the size of a pinhole.

Cagalli noticed the change in her eyes and was in a mild state of panic. She leaned to her right to whisper to Miriallia who held a similar worried expression, as they were the only two present in the room who knew what was happening to their teammate. "Oh my God, is she in SEED mode?"

"Definitely." Miriallia gulped with widened eyes.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) Okay, I don't know who on the boys' team pissed Lacus off, but if she's angry enough to go into SEED mode then…how can I say it…this is serious shBLEEP. *PANIC MODE ACTIVATED* **

Faye warily approached the young Coordinator from behind as she stood stiffly in the middle of the common area. "Umm, sweetie, are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Alright, because, you know, at the end of the day this is still just a game. You do realize that, right?" Faye reminded.

Lacus turned on her heel to come face to face with Faye. "Fifty thousand dollars is at stake." Lacus arched an eyebrow as she spoke the money hungry bounty hunter's language.

Faye paused for a moment as if to contemplate the situation. "Girl's got a point." Faye nodded.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) If Kurama feels that he can play the role of the gentleman just to get me to trust him so that he can use my emotions to his and his team's advantage, then he is tragically foolish. I am Lacus Clyne, daughter of PLANT Supreme Chairman Siegel Clyne. I bend to the will of no one. Surely not those who lie.**

**Haro: Gundam SEED (Genderless machine with a limited vocabulary) Haro! Haro! This mean war! Angry! Red is dead. **

It was decided. "Lacus, I like how you think! I say we channel our own inner soldiers. Starting tomorrow morning, we train!" Faye was completely sold.

"Yes, Pinky's right!" Pan agreed. "We've got soldiers, fighters, and supercharged warriors on our team, too. And it's long past time to start using what we got and start kicking some ass!" Pan flexed a muscle, excited at the prospect of training once again. She was starting to get a little rusty and could use the exercise anyway.

"Hey, not all of us are the strongest fighters, you know." Serena was a bit apprehensive about their plan.

"Don't worry, Serena." Keiko assured. "I'm not much of a fighter either. But I've had a taste of what it feels like to be in 'warrior mode' so to say. And I must admit, it's a rush!" Keiko smiled, recollecting her match during the gladiator challenge against the bull. Ever since then, she had had a taste for action, so she was completely onboard with the training idea.

"That was awesome, by the way." Kagome complimented, the other teammates nodding in agreement.

"Why thank you, Kagome. I like to think so." Keiko expressed her gratitude with a bright grin.

"Now you know how Yusuke feels before he engages in a fight." Botan added. "One could say that perhaps it was just what you two needed to draw you closer together." Botan winked.

Keiko blushed lightly at the thought, but shook it off. She and Yusuke weren't exactly in a good place, and she couldn't afford to allow thoughts of their crumbling relationship to distract her from their mission.

From the back corner of the room, Ryoko and Hilde observed Keiko's face falter once being reminded of her and Yusuke's relationship. Their manipulations were clearly working and it showed in Keiko's latest performance. Yusuke obviously meant the world to her, and the thought of their relationship being in jeopardy was certainly messing with her head. They spared each other a knowing look before returning their attention to the rest of the meeting.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Both Ryoko and I were actually liking what we were hearing in the team meeting. The Inner Circle had agreed to stick to the format of eliminating players with the lowest scores. They weren't being whiny, which was a major plus. And more importantly, they were implementing a plan that I had begged them to start when I was in the Inner Circle…training. I was one of the few who thought that the boys' morning training sessions were a damn good idea, but my idea was ignored because they didn't want to 'copy the boys.' But this is the way I see it. A good idea is a good idea. So I was really glad to see progress. Plus, the whole screwing with someone else's relationship just to get ahead isn't really my style. I've got an honor code, so Ryoko and I decided to tell Bra we wanted out of the alliance because we're just…that BLEEPING dumb. *AWKWARD PAUSE***

"So it's decided then," Pan confirmed, "we start training sessions first thing tomorrow morning, before sunrise. So get some shut eye, because you're gonna need it! Meeting adjourned."

As the team dispersed to their rooms, Keiko pulled Android 18 and Sango aside. She had plans for them in regards to the new training sessions. And it would prove to be beautifully terrifying.

_**Present…**_

**1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and get them sit-ups right and, tuck yo' tummy tight and do yo' crunches like this…**

The girls meant business as they all engaged in various aerobics and exercise routines to get themselves fit and in tip-top condition for the competition. The time for lazing about while the boys left them in the dust was over. It was a little after 5am and the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. But the early start was a non-issue to them as sweat sheened upon their chests and exposed abdomens in their workout gear. As it stood, the only thing on their minds was Pilates.

"Come on, push it!" Cagalli coached Keiko who was her designated partner for their crunches session along with Faye and Botan. She sat on the other girl's feet Indian style keeping her feet and legs steady.

"I…am…trying!" Keiko strained as she struggled to pull herself up for the 50th time.

"You can do it! Think of the win, Keiko! Think about how the boys think we're a weak joke. They don't believe you can do it! They think you're worthless! Prove them wrong, Keiko! Prove them all wrong!"

"Even…Yusuke…" Keiko breathed.

"_Especially_ Yusuke! Now pull it up!" Cagalli growled in her best drill sergeant voice.

"Right! Especially…" Keiko seemed to get a second wind as she raised her body up completing her 50th rep and going back down to raise up again for rep number 51, "…YUSUKE!" She was going to reach the 100 crunch rep requirement in the given 2 minute time limit, or die trying. She had a definite goal set, and she wasn't going to stop until she reached it.

…**That's right, put in work. Move yo' ass, go berserk. Eat yo' salad no dessert. Get that man you deserve…**

Nearby, Miriallia and Lacus were engaged in a flexed-arm hang session on a tree. Lacus encouraged the auburn-haired girl as she supported her weight on a sturdy tree branch, struggling to keep her chin above the top. She tried to ignore the slight stinging sensation of the coarse bark that pressed against the palm of her gloved hands, raising her head upwards to distract from the task at hand.

Lacus was keeping watch on her phone's stop clock. 70 seconds. That's all the girl had to hang for, and she was ready to rotate. They would continue the rotation until their training captain, Pan, told them to change exercise stations. "30 seconds. You can do this, Miriallia. You're almost there. Focus!" Lacus noticed that Miriallia's arms were beginning to tremble as she fought to hang for the remainder of her time. "Don't you _dare_ let go. I _will_ make you start over!" Lacus ordered harshly.

"Okay…geez." Miriallia forced.

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) I don't like this new Lacus. She scares me.**

Kagome stood downwind from Sango watching the other intently in anticipation for the demon slayer's next move. She clenched her bow and arrow tightly and held it at the ready. She noticed that the slayer held her hand concealed behind her back. The young priestess was ready for it, flinching slightly at the tickling sensation of sweat that trailed down her temple. "Let's go." She murmured.

With lightning speed, Sango revealed the item concealed behind her back, tossing the object into the air. Kagome didn't waste time as she drew back on her bow, taking aim with her arrow and releasing it with expert precision towards the peach that Sango and made airborne. She watched as her arrow made contact, impaling the fruit through the middle as it landed onto the grassy field with a light thud.

"Think fast!" Sango shouted. She wasn't done yet as she tossed another piece of fruit into the air, urging Kagome to take aim and fire once again.

Kagome's arrow nearly reached its target before the silhouette of a mysterious creature flew in front of the target, stopping the arrow from reaching its destination. The creature let out a loud screech upon taking the hit, falling to the ground with the arrow lodged in its form.

"Oh no!" Kagome and Sango both gasped in shock, thinking that they had just hit a bird.

"Oh please, no!" Kagome was horrified as she and Sango ran toward the fallen creature, hoping against all hopes that they hadn't killed the poor thing.

Android 18, who was training half of her squad –a title that the Inner Circle had decided upon once they designated Sango and she as squad leaders for training- noticed the commotion and halted briefly from the second lap of their 3 mile run. "The hell…?" Android 18 furrowed her brow as she examined what was going on with Kagome and Sango in the distance. Her team took her pausing as a chance to hunch themselves over and desperately try to catch their breath. She noticed her squad trying to give her the slip and catch a break without her permission, and she immediately went into command mode. "Hey, I don't remember saying 'halt!'"

"18…I don't think…that…was a mile." Winry was certain that she was on the verge of heart failure. "We've run…to the beach and back. Twice. It's like…five minutes away…driving…"

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) We just **_**had**_** to get the bionic woman as our squad leader, didn't we? It's moments such as that where I seriously start to wonder if God hates me.**

"Are you back-talking me, Rockbell?" Android 18 stepped to the blonde welder, causing the girl to immediately straighten up.

"No ma'am."

"Then shut-up and move your ass!" Android 18's voice was like thunder, willing her squad into action.

"Yes ma'am!" Winry, Serena and Aeka cried in unison as they continued on their route for the third time.

"And don't even think about taking any shortcuts because I _will_ find out, and you _will_ deal with my foot in your ass for your stupidity!" Android 18 shouted to their retreating forms, lighting the proverbial fire under their tails in the process.

"Must you provoke her?" Aeka forced as she trotted toward the beach once again. "I've no interest in pulling metal out of my rear-end for your foolishness, Winry!"

"Now, now…let's not fight." Serena huffed between breaths. "Teamwork, remember? It's the only way we can succeed."

"Fine!" Aeka rolled her eyes as the three girls headed for their destination, a burning sensation arising in their abdomens that they would indeed be foolish to surrender to a shortcut for.

**Aeka: Tenchi Muyo (Gals) *HOLDING HER **_**iPHONE 5***_** Remind me to kill Lacus Clyne in her sleep tonight.**

**Siri: Apple (Sinfully overrated voice command system) Okay, I'll remind you.**

**Aeka: *CRAZY EYES***

Android 18 curiously made her way toward Sango and Kagome who were frantically running in the direction of the fallen creature. Suddenly, she saw both girls let out a shriek and begin to run in the opposite direction. The android released an exasperated sigh. "_Now_ what?"

"Oh my god!" Kagome squealed as she and Sango ran toward the villa, now drawing the attention of everyone in the area, causing them to pause their exercises in concern.

"What's going on?" Botan shouted, subconsciously grateful that something was interrupting her crunches session. Faye was such a slave-driver who didn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'mercy.'

"Ick!" Kagome shivered as if she had bugs crawling over her body.

"What, what, what?" Faye pressed. She was annoyed that their exercises were being interrupted and was tempted to tell both Sango and Kagome to suck it up. She didn't care what it was.

"Bat!" Sango squeaked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Faye scrunched her face in confusion.

Pan then made her way toward the crowd that had gathered around Kagome and Sango. "You girls better have a damn good reason for breaking rotation!" Her small voice was fierce and commanding as she stood by with her hands on her hips.

"I hit a bat!" Kagome stated in a rushed tone.

"Congratulations. You can hit things. Get back in line!" Pan wasn't impressed.

"I'm not going back over there!" Kagome shook her head nervously.

"Me neither. Bats really give me the creeps." Sango admitted.

Pan released a frustrated huff, flailing her arms in the air at their cowardice. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me! How is it that you two morons can fight demons on a daily basis and be scared of a damn bat?"

Android 18 had to agree. "Damn good question, small fry."

"Hey! That's _Captain_ small fry!" Pan corrected.

"Whatever. I'm going to check this thing out." The android ventured toward the alleged bat, hardly fazed by the situation.

"Be careful." Kagome warned.

Android 18 could only roll her eyes. As if she needed to be cautious around some stupid rodent with wings. She made it over to the creature and noticed that Kagome's arrow was stuck in its leg. "Hmm." She studied the little brown mammal, surmising that it was a Brazilian Free-Tailed from her limited knowledge of chiropterans. She saw the creature twitch suddenly, letting out low screeches as if in pain, and flapping its wings wildly. "Hey guys," she called with an unenthused tone, "this thing's still alive."

"WHAT!" Sango yelped.

"Okay. I'm done. Later." And in little to no time, Kagome skedaddled into the villa, Sango following close behind. They ignored Faye and Pan's protests as they closed the sliding glass doors behind them and headed for their bedroom. As far as they were concerned, their exercises were done for the remainder of the morning.

**Sango: Inuyasha (Gals) It's the diseases they carry that I'm terrified of, that's all. Honest!** ***LYING LIAR FROM LIARTOWN***

Botan rushed over to join Android 18 and survey the status of the bat. "Oh, the poor thing must be in so much pain!" She cried in sympathy.

"What are you, some kind of tree-hugging environmentalist?" Android 18 queried with dry sarcasm.

"Well no. But being the grim reaper tends to give one an appreciation for _all_ life." Botan explained.

"But your sole occupation isn't even about life. It's about death. So what are you talking about?" The blonde android folded her arms, not really following Botan's explanation.

"Enough, no time for talking! We must help this poor, defenseless, creature!" Botan declared as she leaned down near the bat to pick it up.

"I wouldn't do that." Android 18 advised.

"Nonsense. It'll sense that I'm here to help, and mean it absolutely no harm." Botan assured with bright confidence.

"Okay." Android 18 replied nonchalantly. Some people just had to learn the hard way she supposed.

Botan reached for the arrow lodged in the bat's leg, Pan, Faye and Keiko arriving to the scene to observe her actions.

"Whoa, what is she doing?" Pan started.

"Something stupid." Android 18 replied dryly.

"Umm, Botan," Keiko began carefully, "maybe you shouldn't. I mean we can always call animal control. I'm sure they'll know what to do. Botan-"

"No," Android 18 raised her hand interrupting Keiko's warning, "let her do exactly what she wants to do." She smirked.

"But-"

"Uh-uh."

Just then, Botan snatched the arrow from the bat's leg, the creature letting out a wail of agony upon the action. She then closed her eyes and held her hands over its injury, a soft glow generating from her palm. They all watched as the bat's wound slowly began to close.

"What the…oh yeah, I forgot she could do that." Android 18 stated with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

**Android 18: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) And I was so hoping for a show. I had my YouTube account on my phone ready and everything. **

"There! All better, little one." Botan pet the winged mammal on its head, feeling triumphant that she saved the day. The bat then went airborne, circling in place over their heads and screeching with what Botan interpreted as excitement and gratitude for her aid.

"I think he's happy." Keiko giggled as they watched the bat flutter about in the air over their heads.

"Yeah, I guess…" Miriallia trailed, her ears were picking up on something in the distance, causing her to turn her head from the current event. "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

"Hear wha-?" Lacus frowned as Miriallia's hand shot up to shush her.

The others then began to follow Miriallia's example as they all focused their ears on the faint sound of screeching…lots of screeching.

"Is that…" Faye squinted her eyes across the field toward a collection of trees. The sun had still not fully risen, offering little light. However, it was enough to pick up on the silhouettes of several –no make that several hundred- flying creatures headed for their location. "Oh…shBLEEP."

There had to have been well over a hundred of them; bats. Their screeching was growing closer and they did not appear at all friendly judging by the urgency with which they seemed to be moving. It was clear that the injured bat's screeching was not out of excitement, but in fact was a cry for help.

"So," Cagalli swallowed, "training over?"

"Yep!" Pan shouted as she and the rest of the team ran from the swarm of bats. Unfortunately, they didn't notice the reinforcements approaching them from behind, and before they knew it, they were surrounded.

"Son of a bitch!" Android 18 griped as she and the rest of her now screaming teammates were swarmed by a mass of angry bats.

"Get it off me! Get it off me! Get it off me!" Keiko screamed as she flailed around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"The pool!" Cagalli shouted.

"There're too many! I can't see!" Lacus yelled as she swatted at the air in an attempt to keep the bats away.

"Oh, screw this!" Pan growled as she went airborne to have an advantage over the bats.

"Good idea!" Android 18 joined the smaller, young, Saiyan. They both aimed the palms of their hands toward the bats, a yellow light building up from the centers as they prepared to fire.

"Wait, no, don't kill them!" Botan protested.

"Are you KIDDING me?" Pan bit back.

"Please!" Botan begged.

"Ugh! Fine, damn it!" Pan was beyond pissed. But if she had a choice between hearing Botan whine non-stop about dead bats and having to waste her time stunning the winged pests, she chose the latter. So she and Android 18 raised their index fingers. They fired at each bat one by one, the creatures dropping like flies into a deep sleep.

"Pan, do you realize how long this is gonna take? There's like a hundred of these things." Android 18 complained.

"Don't remind me! Just shut-up and shoot!" Pan ordered.

**Pan: Dragonball GT (Gals) Botan is officially on my list for that insane request. Trust me. You do **_**not**_** want to be on my list.**

Meanwhile, in the villa, Bra, Ryoko, and Hilde watched the commotion from the safe confines of the ex-OZ soldier's bedroom. Bra couldn't help but be entertained as she watched them run around like idiots nearly pissing their pants from the sheer horror of it all. She nearly burst out into laughter once she saw, Cagalli, Lacus, Miriallia and Keiko jump into the pool for refuge from the chaos.

Finally, the laughter she had been holding in was released when she witnessed Faye and Botan run over to the boys' villa and interrupt their morning training session. She saw Yusuke mouth what she determined was something along the lines of 'what the BLEEP are you doing' before he and the rest of his teammates nearly lost it as a swarm of bats followed her fleeing comrades to the boys' villa. Apparently, Sango and Kagome weren't the only ones terrified of bats as at least half of the boys immediately began to freak out from the onslaught. "This is too, delicious."

"Tell me about it." Hilde chuckled.

"They look like ants. Funny little ants." Bra smiled manically. She noticed that Yusuke, Hiei, Android 17 and Trunks joined Pan and Android 18 in 'clean up' duty. So they didn't have much time for their own meeting. "Okay, let's hurry this up."

"Right." Ryoko took a seat next to Hilde on the other's bed.

"The plan seems to be making satisfactory progress. Not surprising. After all, it was _my_ plan." Bra stated with a conceited smirk. "Keiko's score has lowered significantly since the last challenge. So after today's challenge, if we play our cards right, Hilde, you will definitely surpass her and regain your spot in the Inner Circle."

"Bra," Hilde began slowly, "about that…" Hilde tried to find the right words.

"Hmm?" Bra raised her eyebrows. Her sapphire eyes burned into Hilde's cool, blue gaze. Hilde tried to read what they were telling her, if anything, but Bra was dropping no hints about her disposition. She was a ticking time bomb, like that. Almost instantaneously, she could switch on the crazy, and bless the soul that provoked her mood shift.

"I've been thinking…actually _we've_ been thinking," she gestured between herself and Ryoko, causing the space pirate to cast her a nervous glare, "you know, the Inner Circle seems to really be making progress. They're starting to shake off the dead weight by eliminating the weakest players. They've implemented this training program. We can tell that they're really trying to better this team."

"Excuse me?" Bra blinked with a tight smile as she perched herself on Hilde's dresser, swinging her legs back and forth like a child. Her tone was perky and she seemed to be challenging Hilde. The conversation was taking an obvious turn for the worse.

Ryoko sensed the tension rising in the room, causing her to whisper a cease and desist order through gritted teeth, "Abort." The space pirate examined Hilde from the corner of her eye.

"I'm…just saying that our main goal was to get into the Inner Circle to make logical decisions starting with Flay's elimination. But, as you can see, Flay's already been eliminated. And Keiko, Faye and Pan have all agreed to stick to that method and eliminate the player with the lowest score. They've promised." Hilde continued trying her best to sound pleasant and non-threatening.

"And?" Bra's tone was still perky, though the crazy was starting to show more and more in her icy stare.

"What I mean is…I don't really…see the point in us going through with infiltrating the Inner Circle anymore. I think the team is finally on the right path, now."

"I agree," Ryoko decided to back Hilde up, "the Inner Circle is finally making good, smart decisions for once."

"Well, I disagree." Bra retorted calmly. "The Inner Circle has only proven once that they're capable of logical thought by getting rid of Flay, and it took them forever just to do that. It's a clear demonstration that they can't be trusted with the power to eliminate team members."

"Okay, but, Bra if that's the case then let's examine what we're doing here." Hilde tried to be the voice of reason to the unreasonable. "For one, and please don't take this the wrong way but, what exactly makes _you _a trustworthy candidate to possess the power to eliminate members?"

"For one, I'm not an idiot and I do what I have to do in order to win." Bra answered curtly.

Ryoko took a breath before challenging Bra's answer. "Yes, but, Bra…that's usually for yourself."

Bra was beginning to catch on to what they were getting at. They wanted out. More importantly, they were dumb enough to entertain thoughts of the possibility of her actually granting such a ludicrous request.

**Bra: Dragonball GT (Gals)** **I guess you could say I overestimated them. I mean we barely made it past Phase 1 of the plan and already they were forcing my hand to use my leverage against them. Why do people make me do these things?**

Bra released a low chuckle, shaking her head from side to side in disappointment. She knew that it would come to this at some point, though she was expecting to at least make it to Phase 2 at that point. "You guys, I swear. There's nothing worse than a flake without a spine."

"Hey-"

"Look here," Bra cut off Hilde's protest, "I have my mission and I have recruited your partnership not because I actually need you, but because I actually thought highly of you. I knew that if there were any members on this team capable of bringing us to victory that it was definitely the two of you. But I see the error of my ways, now. As it turns out, you're just like the rest of them. Spineless, whiny little bitches who are completely foreign to the concept of getting BLEEP done. But it's fine. Thankfully, your sense of preparedness is by all accounts inferior compared to mine. So I made sure to keep a failsafe ready in the event that you decided to be predictable and reveal your unbearably dull colors." Bra's voice turned dark and scheming as she looked down at them from her place on the dresser upon which she sat.

"What are you saying?" Hilde's throat was suddenly dry.

"I'm saying, that if you two think that you can get into an alliance with me and then back out at your own discretion before the mission has been completed and expect me to be Mary Sunshine about it, then you have to be two of the dumbest bitches alive." She hopped down from the dresser then as she hovered over them, her presence making her appear seven feet tall despite her small stature.

"You're gonna blackmail us, aren't you?" Ryoko stated with a tone of defeat and crushed dreams.

"Well, well. Look who's learning things." Bra added with a sarcastic grin. Ryoko could only bury her face in her hands, Hilde shaking her head at her foolishness. What on Earth made her think that Bra could be reasoned with, was indeed a mystery. "Let's start with you, Hilde, since these delusions of grandeur that I could be 'talked out of proceeding with the plan' undoubtedly belong to you."

"Bra…" Hilde groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She really didn't think any of this through properly.

"I'm sure you have absolutely no intentions of letting word get out about your little 3-way with Duo and your military buddy after my sweet 16 party. Unless, of course, you're open to advertisements, I'd be more than happy to put a tip out on Facebook for you. Or maybe Craigslist is more your style." Bra threatened.

"How do you-"

"Whoa, you _what_?" Ryoko couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Oh I _always_ know. What would people think of good-girl Hilde Schbeiker getting her naughty on with Duo Maxwell of all people? And you were even generous enough to bring a friend along for the ride. You know what they say. 'Sharing is caring.'" Bra snorted.

"Oh my God." Hilde grabbed one of her pillows and shielded her face with it to hide her shame.

"So it's true, then?" Ryoko prodded. "You actually had a threesome with Duo and your friend?

"Yes, okay! I did. This information does NOT leave this room!" Hilde gave Ryoko a sharp look, who replied with a zipping motion across her lips.

"And it won't, as long as you agree not to leave this alliance." Bra negotiated like a pro.

Hilde placed her face into the palm of her hand. "Okay." Her voice was muffled beneath her fingers.

"What was that?" Bra placed her hand behind her ear as if to be making an effort to hear the other girl more clearly.

"I said _okay_. You have my allegiance. Are you happy, now?" Hilde ground out.

"Delighted!" Bra perked. "And as for you, Ryoko, I happen to know that you're the one responsible for Julia breaking up with Spike all because you just couldn't keep your big mouth shut about something that never happened between him and Faye. I'm sure he would love to find out that the reason his girlfriend broke up with him is because of misinformation that _you_ fed her. No doubt that he'd turn his entire team against you, and be out for your blood."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh I would. Make no mistake, ladies. I've come this far, and I have no intention of backing down. I _will_ make it to the Inner Circle with or without you. And you _will_ do your parts to ensure that I get there." She then looked to Hilde. "You, my dumb friend, clearly can't be trusted with your assignment on Keiko. So, I'll finish the job, myself. In the meantime, you will be there if and when I need you. Otherwise, stay out of my way. Or everyone _will_ be informed of you and Duo's 'extra-curricular' activities."

Hilde remained silent as Bra laid out her ground rules, officially reducing them both to flunky status with every word. "And Ryoko, I'm certain that Spike won't let you live down the fact that you have a sinfully big mouth. Then again, your eternal torment by Spike Spiegel sounds like a party, to me. Maybe you're not the only one with the big mouth." Bra stated pointedly. "I advise you both not to remain stupid and do exactly as I say. Questions, comments, concerns?" Bra concluded as if she actually cared to hear their feedback.

Hilde and Ryoko could only stare in silence, both in shock and nervous after being quickly reminded about whom they were dealing with. Nothing was sacred to that girl. Nothing. They were mentally kicking themselves for forgetting that fact.

Hilde abruptly exited her room feeling a sudden need to be as far away from Bra as possible. The blue-haired Saiyan princess called out to her retreating form just as she hit the door. "Do smart things, Hilde."

Hilde stood at the door for a moment, completely mortified by the pickle that she had gotten herself into. Shaking her head unconsciously, she abandoned her room and headed downstairs. The bat crisis seemed to finally cool down as the back field was covered with hundreds of unconscious bats. She noticed that about ten animal control trucks were parked out front and was tempted to hop into one. The prospect of being caged with hundreds of bats who were certain to be angry once they regained consciousness seemed to be a hell of a lot more inviting than what she was currently dealing with.

She stepped out of the backdoor to find Faye outside on the back patio having a cigarette, watching the commotion from afar with animal control and Botan who had taken on the role of 'bat liberation coordinator.'

"Hey." Hilde greeted shortly.

"Hey." Faye breathed as she blew out a thin cloud of smoke from her rouge lips. "Yusuke's pissed at me and Botan for leading the bats over to the boys' villa." She admitted with a hint of amusement.

"Oh yeah?" Hilde tried to play it cool by feigning interest in the small talk.

"Never thought I'd live to see the day where Spike Spiegel runs from something no bigger than a dollar size bag of _Doritos_." Faye half-chuckled.

"Yeah, that's crazy…" Hilde replied with a half-hearted snort. Faye noticed that the other girl was shifting from side to side and fidgeting anxiously.

"What's up with you?" Faye scrutinized.

"Hmm? N-nothing, I'm cool. Hey, can I bum one of those?" Hilde nodded feverishly towards Faye's cigarette, causing the other to arch an eyebrow.

Faye cast her a strange look. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Since now." Hilde answered with an agitated tone, holding her hand out and wiggling her fingers back and forth in a 'gimme' motion.

Reaching into the small, red and white box, Faye pulled out a stick and passed it to Hilde. The other girl quickly jammed it between her lips and let Faye light the end for her, taking a long, desperate drag before blowing out a thick cloud of smoke. There was a beat before Faye decided to speak. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Okay."

_**Morning in White Shore…**_

"I have never wanted to ring a woman's neck so much in my life!" Yusuke lamented as he sat in the kitchenette with Hiei, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The plan was to serve breakfast and have their scheduled team meeting, but the majority of their comrades needed to blow off some steam after the disaster earlier that morning, and so everyone was scattered about and disoriented. Faye and Botan running to their villa with a swarm of angry bats on their tail had completely thrown off their morning routine, and pretty much set a negative tone for the entire day. "Now I've got the Florida Bat Conservancy on my ass because I smoked a few, clearly pissed off, bats! I don't have time for this BLEEP!"

"Forget that," Hiei interjected, "we've got more important things to worry about."

"Right. Let me just calm down." Yusuke raised his hands as if to be getting himself together. He noticed that Sesshomaru leaned against the counter as if to be waiting for him to give instruction. It was unusual for the demon lord to make efforts of being part of their team, so he felt the need to question the demon about it. "Yo, Sessh. You're starting to come around more often, I noticed. Something you want to share?"

"First and foremost, if you appreciate having the ability to breathe without assistance, I suggest you make certain that that is the last time you address me by that insufferable name." Sesshomaru warned.

"Duly noted." Yusuke nodded warily.

"Secondly, I must admit, that I am interested to see how you will proceed with this new turn of events." Sesshomaru referenced the information that Yusuke received in his email that caused the latest paradigm shift in their team.

"You _are_ aware that you're not going to be there, right?" Yusuke firmly reminded the demon lord.

"Indeed. I am aware. I am merely interested in the journey. Not necessarily the destination." He spared the dark-haired boy a knowing look, who returned the silent communication.

They all sat in silence as if to be in deep thought, broodingly contemplating what lied ahead for them in the future that seemed to quickly grow nearer with every passing second.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) You guys have absolutely **_**no**_** idea what we're talking about, do you? *LAUGHS UNCONTROLLABLY* I swear it's nothing. We're just playing the part of the dramatic and mysterious Anime hero. It's in our contracts to exhibit this clichéd and melodramatic behavior at least once in a series. It is apparently sexy and good for marketing. Sorry. *NOT SORRY***

The silence seemed to go on for a moment too long bringing up a sense of awkwardness, making the spirit detective uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, clearing his throat so as to remedy the lack of sound. His eyes shifted from Hiei, to Inuyasha, to Sesshomaru, and back again. This was ridiculous. "Alright, well…you guys are boring the hell outta me so, I'm gonna," he stood to his feet, "not be here. Adios!"

He decided to move on to the game room where Dearka, Athrun, Duo and Heero were engaged in a game of _Call of Duty_ on _Xbox Live_. Kira sat on the pool table, wolfing down a bowl of _Frosted Mini-Wheats_ as he watched the gameplay from behind. The atmosphere was tense which signified that the game in progress was currently not going well. Yusuke wondered what country the onslaught was coming from this morning.

"Damn Aussie kids! Go get eaten by a pack of dingoes, you BLEEPING brats!" Duo griped as he wore his headset, the temptation to throw it and the game out of the window quickly reaching a breaking point. At least his sudden outburst answered Yusuke's unasked question.

"So, what's the stats?" Yusuke attempted to make conversation, causing Kira to drop his spoon into his bowl to make a cut-off gesture warning Yusuke not to speak.

"Dude! Shut up! Jesus!" Dearka chastised.

"Yeah, really, Yusuke. You know better than to interrupt a _Black Ops_ session. What's wrong with you?" Athrun scolded as he flipped through the strategy guide in his _Game Informer_. Yes. A bunch of 12 year olds on the other side of the globe had reduced him to consult a strategy guide. It was a travesty. "Damn it! How the hell do they have that many Claymores? Damn things are everywhere! AARRGH! ShBLEEP, I'm dead." Athrun threw down his controller, shooting Yusuke a death glare for breaking his concentration.

"Wait, so now I'm the only one on our team left?" Duo panicked. "But they've still got like eight people! BLEEPING Yusuke, man!"

"Okay, you know what, I'm leaving. Clearly this one's a serious deal."

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) First rule of **_**Black Ops**_** sessions: do not interrupt **_**Black Ops**_** sessions. Second rule of **_**Black Ops**_** sessions: you do **_**not**_** interrupt **_**Black Ops**_** sessions. Those are literally the only rules. Probably the simplest rules that exist to date, and yet there's still the occasional assBLEEP who can't seem to follow them. You know who you are. You should be hogtied and flogged.**

Yusuke, having been banned from the game room, decided to venture upstairs to check on Kurama. He hadn't seen the kitsune all morning and needed to discuss important matters regarding the end of the competition with him. Once he arrived to Kurama and Hiei's room, he noticed that the other boy seemed to be slightly amused by something on his cellphone as he relaxed on his bed. Being as desperate for a thrill as he currently was, he tapped his knuckle on the doorpost to get his friend's attention.

"Oh, good morning, Yusuke. I didn't notice you standing there." Kurama smiled warmly.

"Don't worry about it. I just wanted to check on you. Maybe talk to you about a few things regarding the end of this competition." Yusuke spared him a knowing look.

"Certainly. I had a few concerns that I wanted to raise with you about that matter, as well." Kurama's tone was serious.

"Yeah," Yusuke nodded, "what were you laughing at just now?"

"Hm?"

"Your phone. What was so funny? I mean, if it's personal, you don't have to tell me. I was just curious. If it made _you_ laugh, it's gotta be pretty damn interesting so…" Yusuke shrugged, hoping that he wasn't making Kurama uncomfortable. "I'm not prying too much, am I?"

"Of course not. I don't mind sharing it with you. I have nothing to hide." Kurama offered the spirit detective an assuring smile.

"Cool. So what was it?" Yusuke eagerly plopped himself down on the foot of Kurama's bed as if the other was about to tell him the most interesting story in the world.

"Well, I may have caused quite a fuss with one of our opponents."

"Our opponents?" Yusuke saw Kurama's eyes gesture toward the girls' villa. "Oh, you mean, _them_? Do tell! Who'd you piss off?"

"I think it's safe to say that Lacus is currently very cross with me." Kurama stated as he leisurely took a sip of tea from the mug that sat on his nightstand.

"_Lacus_? Why? What'd you do to _her_?"

"What none of _you_ could." Kurama began. He placed his mug back onto his nightstand and locked his emerald gaze with Yusuke's dark orbs. "I gained her trust and subsequently learned the weaknesses of every last one of her team members. Once I collected all of the necessary information, I determined that she was no longer any use to me and severed our ties." Kurama's eyes narrowed into shaded slits. "You see, while the lot of you were busy with your boisterous tactics to antagonize the girls' team, _I_ was gaining every bit of intelligence that we needed to reign supreme in this competition. And all it took was a gesture of feigned kindness and concern for a young woman's broken heart."

Yusuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. This whole time, Kurama was actually the one pulling strings to ensure their victory. It was sneaky. It was sly, just like a fox. "Dude…that's hardcore."

"You have _no_ idea."

"I gotta say, I didn't know you had it in you, fox-boy." Yusuke offered his friend a sly grin.

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me, Yusuke." Kurama stood from the bed and headed for the door. "Well now, I believe we have a challenge to prepare for." He smiled over his shoulder at Yusuke before exiting his bedroom, though the smile immediately disappeared once he turned his head away and approached the hallway. A plethora of emotions ranging from disgust and agitation quickly became etched over his beautiful features, something that threw Android 17 for a loop as he exited the restroom.

"Hmm." Android 17 narrowed his eyes as he watched Kurama head downstairs and out of the front door. He then peeked inside Kurama's room to notice Yusuke examining one of Kurama's books. "Hey."

Yusuke perked at the sound of Android 17's voice. "Hey man, what's up?"

"What's going on with Kurama? Did you piss him off?" Android 17 smirked. He was mildly amused by the prospect of Yusuke pissing off the kitsune.

**Android 17: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) Maybe he finally broke it to him that real men don't smell like florist shops. Ever.**

"What? No." Yusuke's face contorted in confusion.

"Well, he certainly looked pretty pissed off when he left this room just a minute ago." The raven-haired android informed.

"_Really_?" Yusuke's eyes widened upon hearing such information. "Are you sure? He seemed fine when he left. At least I _thought_ he was. He looked _pissed,_ you said?"

"Highly." Android 17 nodded.

"What the hell…" Yusuke trailed. He couldn't figure it out.

"_Hey guys, we got a text from the producers!_" Trunks voice could be heard from the first floor, interrupting Yusuke's thoughts.

_**In Starfish…**_

"_Hope you're familiar with the Art of Zen. Embracing its teachings is the only way you can win. Be prepared to leave the villas at 11am…grasshoppers_." Keiko read off the text message to her team. "Hmm. I guess we'll be doing something Martial Arts related, then?"

"It certainly sounds that way." Botan scratched her chin.

"Yeah, but then again, we know by now that when it comes to this competition, things are never what they seem." Pan added dryly.

"True." Keiko agreed. "Well team, it's time to give it all we've got today. Let's get out there and do our best!"

"Right!" The girls' team chorused with enthusiasm as they all scattered in preparation for the next challenge. Pan was correct in her assessment. The competition from day one was never as it seemed. However, being paranoid about the unknown would only serve to hurt them immensely in the next challenge.

_**17**__**th**__** Challenge: The Beating of Your Heart, Baby!**_

The challengers arrived to a large field not far from a local park. As the afternoon progressed, a significant amount of clouds had collected in the sky giving them momentary breaks from the ruthless rays of sunlight. There he stood with Brad once again by his side –who it seemed had been convinced to don Jonny's trademark Aloha shirts- waving down the competitors was Jonny Moseley looking enthused and cheerful as per usual.

Hilde and Ryoko mostly trailed behind so as to stay as far away as possible from Bra, whom they noticed had already begun her work on Keiko. Thankfully, it appeared that Keiko wasn't playing into her tricks, though she was visibly annoyed by the blue-haired girl. For reasons unknown to Keiko, the girl wouldn't stop going on and on about friends of hers who had lost their boyfriends to strippers, within her earshot no less.

"Yeah, I told Caitlin not to worry, because I mean if he's just gonna run off with a skanky stripper then he's not worth her time, you know?" Bra regarded Pan who was clearly growing bored with the conversation.

"Yea-huh." Pan half-answered.

"Okay, Bra," Keiko started, rolling her eyes, "I know what you're doing, so you can stop now."

"Sorry Keiko, but I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Bra played innocent. "I was in the middle of a conversation with Pan, so…"

"Oh please!" Keiko snapped. "You're _so_ obvious!"

"Keiko, I seriously don't know what you're talking about, okay?" Bra huffed.

"You're trying to get me to break up with Yusuke just so you can make your move. Well, I'm not buying it. I'm too smart for that, though you're clearly not smart enough to think up a better strategy." Keiko folded her arms. The challengers were growing closer to Jonny and Brad's location, a large tower becoming more visible behind them as they gained distance to their host. They stopped, however, to gawk at the current back and forth that was transpiring within their group.

Bra stopped then, indignantly placing her hands on her hips as she faced Keiko, getting in the other's face. "Umm, okay. First of all Keiko, that couldn't be the farthest from the truth. And even if it were, I guarantee you that if by some twist of personal sanity I was to develop even an iota of desire for your frumpy little boyfriend, I wouldn't need to convince you to break up with him in order to get him. So you can stop entertaining those grandiose fantasies right now. You're only embarrassing yourself."

"Damn." Duo breathed. The boys couldn't help but react to Bra's bold attitude. They honestly couldn't believe what she had just said, especially Yusuke who at the moment was trying to pretend that he wasn't hearing the exchange by looking anywhere and at anything but Bra and Keiko.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) *WHISTLING NONCHALANTLY* Oh what? Sorry I was just admiring the…plaster on the…ceiling. It's magnificent. *LOOKS UP AND CONTINUES WHISTLING***

**MTV Producer: Coward.**

**Yusuke: Yep. *KEEPS WHISTLING***

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Keiko moved a bit closer toward Bra.

"Are you having language comprehension difficulties, now?" Bra half-chuckled. "Okay then, I'll use simple-speak. If I wanted your boyfriend, I could get him in a heartbeat. But, since I actually have standards, you can stop worrying that I'll be one of the many girls to divert his, likely bored, attention away from you."

"Whoa." Dearka whispered with widened eyes covering his mouth in absolute shock. If only he had popcorn.

And that was all it took. Keiko was fuming. She didn't care that Bra was exponentially stronger than her. She didn't care that the girl could, quite literally, blast her into another state. She wasn't going to tolerate it anymore. She wasn't going to let Bra speak to them all as though they were trash because the spoiled, half-Saiyan, princess knew that the majority of the team feared her wrath. She didn't give a damn about Bra's wrath. At this point, all she cared about was:

_SLLLAAAAP!_

The sound reverberated throughout the entire field. A flock of birds abandoned a nearby tree having been startled from the unnerving pop of Keiko's palm making violent contact with the left side of Bra's face. The earth seemed to stand still. No one could speak. Even Jonny and Brad, who had witnessed the incident from the distance, could only stand frozen with their mouths agape in disbelief.

All eyes rested on Bra, the tension thick enough to slice with a buzz saw. No one knew what the unstable and unpredictable girl was going to do. It was nerve-wracking. Pan took this time to position herself adjacent to her childhood friend, making sure that if it were necessary, she could take the girl down to prevent her from seriously injuring Keiko. Or worse.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I don't think I've ever been that nervous about what Bra was going to do since I've known her. I'm not gonna lie. I was terrified! I mean, she got slapped! In the **_**face**_**! Do you have any idea how much that girl cherishes her **_**face**_**! More than her shoe collection. Trust me, that's way more serious than it sounds. *BITES NAILS***

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) *ON THE PHONE* Yeah about five feet, 90 pounds. Uh-huh. *POINTS TO PHONE* **_**Morticians**_**. Yes, I see. So…how fast can you deliver one for a body that size? You take credit cards? *AWKWARD SMILE***

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) *PLAYING ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND SINGING* **_**Goodbye to youuuuu. Goodbye to everything, that I knewwww. You were the one I loved. The one thing that I tried to hold ontooooo.**_

**MTV Producer: *HOLDS UP LIGHTER***

Bra slowly raised her hand to palm the side of her face where Keiko's palm had made its clean and unexpected assault. She lightly dragged her fingertips upon her jawline, a slight tingling sensation beginning to fade in the process. She eyed the brown-haired girl who had struck her with a hint of amusement in her sapphire orbs. Keiko stood before her panting and clearly tense as she balled her fists to her side. "Hm. You seem upset, Keiko."

"I _am_!" Keiko growled.

"Then I guess I'll leave you alone, then." Bra shrugged and proceeded to the challenge area to meet up with Jonny and Brad.

"Oh come on, Bra," Pan held her hands up and stood in front of Keiko, "there's no need to do anything that you know you're gonna re-wa-wa-wait a minute…WHAT?" Pan had to do a double-take between Keiko and Bra's retreating form.

"Come on guys, we don't wanna keep Jonny waiting! We've got a challenge to do!" Bra smiled brightly as she gestured for the rest of the team to follow along.

The rest of the competitors stood in place, dumbfounded as they scratched their heads all trying to process some very confusing information. "Okay," Faye started, raising her index fingers up unconsciously, "what…the BLEEP."

"Perhaps, young Bra, has finally decided to be a team player." Miroku rubbed his chin.

"No." Faye fervently shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No. _Hell_ no."

Hilde felt awkward as she had an idea as to what was going on with Bra. "Well guys, we can't really waste time standing around here. You heard the crazy one. We've got a challenge, so let's…go! Go ladies." Hilde half-cheered.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) God, please just make them leave it alone and move on. **_**Please**_**!**

The competitors all proceeded to the challenge area to finally meet up with Jonny and Brad. Whatever was going on with Bra, they would have to deal with it later. As they met up with Jonny, Serena once again noted that Sachiya was missing. She found it so strange that the girl was missing for this long. It was truly starting to worry her. She looked all around the challenge area, but there was still no sign of the purple-haired girl. She was tempted to question Jonny about it, but something stopped her.

**Serena: Sailor Moon (Gals) I think Jonny noticed that I was looking for Sachiya. He kinda gave me a look. It wasn't an angry look or anything, but he did look pretty nervous. I couldn't tell if it was a 'please don't ask about Sachiya' look or a 'yes Sachiya is gone and even **_**I **_**don't know where she is or what happened to her' look. Hmmm.**

"Alright guys, glad we were all able to make it…alive." Jonny cleared his throat, causing another wave of awkwardness to wash throughout the group. "Anyway, welcome to your 17th Challenge! As you can see, before you, stands a 200 foot old tower that has been modified to specifically be used for this challenge. At one side of the tower is a safety balloon. At the other side is…a tank of gators."

"What, were they out of sharks?" Athrun huffed sardonically.

"This is Florida. It's cheaper and quicker to acquire gators. And we're not big on clichés." Jonny explained.

"Not big on clichés?" Duo chirped. "What the hell was Tigre then? An original thought?"

"_Shhh_!" Heero elbowed Duo in the ribs. "Do _not_ say his name."

"Yeah, really, Duo." Inuyasha shivered.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I'm afraid it'll be like that thing where you say his name three times and he appears. We can't afford to go through that a…third time.**

"Guys," Jonny sighed, "can I just explain the challenge, please?" They all nodded, Jonny taking in a breath before continuing. "Okay, so here's the deal. You will each compete one at a time standing on that above platform. You will be hooked to a heart rate monitor that measures your heart rate in beats per minute. The overall object is to get your heart rate to 62bpm or less for full points. If and when you accomplish this, there is a trap door on the floor of the platform that will release you. The platform starts off hovering over the safety balloon. It will remain over this safety balloon for 90 seconds. After 90 seconds passes, the platform moves over the tank of alligators."

"Of course it does." Hiei snipped.

"Obviously, you don't want to be released over a tank of gators, so you want to make sure that your heart rate does _not_ drop to 62bpm or less if and when the platform moves over the gator tank. However, there is a catch. If your heart rate reaches 72bpm you will be released, but receive no points if you are over the safety balloon. If your heart rate reaches 72bpm and you are released over the tank, you will receive half of the amount of points value for yourself and your team. Since we're certain hovering over an alligator tank with the prospect of being dropped into it can be quite unsettling, we can only encourage you to think happy thoughts, at the right time. The platform will move back over the safety balloon after one minute has passed. This rotation will continue for ten minutes from the first rotation, meaning that once the platform moves the first time, that is when the ten minutes begins. If your heart rate fails to reach 62bpm before ten minutes is up, you DQ and the trap door releases you. Over the safety balloon. Calm down guys." Jonny could tell that they were getting nervous, having not done the rotation math in their heads yet.

The competitors all released a collective sigh of relief upon learning that they would not be automatically released over a tank of gators. "There are rules. The number one rule: no flying or floating of any kind during this challenge. Anyone caught doing either will automatically DQ and gain no points for their team as well as risk removal from the competition entirely. So yeah, you don't wanna do that."

"Damn it." Trunks pouted. He could see, Pan, Bra, Ryoko and quite a few others on both teams grumbling over the no flight rule as well.

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) Well, there goes **_**my **_**plan.**

"Alright, anyone that manages to get their heart rate to 62bpm within the first 90 seconds automatically gains 1000 points for their team and 500 for themselves. From that point on, at the first rotation, if you are released and your heart rate is 62bpm, you gain 400 points for yourself and 900 points for your team. If your heart rate is 72bpm on first rotation and you are released, the points you gain will be 200 for yourself and 450 for your team. The point values are half for all 72bpm that occur over the tank. However, if you are released over the safety balloon with a heart rate of 72bpm, you gain no points. By the second rotation, the points that you can gain will be 300 for yourself and 800 for your team if your heart rate reaches 62bpm. Are you guys following this?"

"Yeah," Ed chimed, "so basically, we lose a hundred points for all rotations that happen after the first 90 seconds. If we reach 72bpm and we're over the tank, we gain half point values, but none if we're over the balloon. And if we reach 62bpm, it doesn't matter what we're hovering over, but however long we take that determines how many points we gain?"

"Yep, you got it. Very good, Ed. Feel free to taunt your opposing teammates 'til your heart's content to aid with raising their blood pressure. I'm sure that'll be easy for you guys." Jonny nodded.

"Right, so what are we winning this time?" Yusuke urged.

"The winner of the challenge, meaning the player who manages to clear the platform in the quickest time, will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero and this team prize. Brad." Jonny regarded his adjunct co-host.

"A wireless Blu-Ray Player with box set of seasons 1-5 of _Breaking Bad_. Boys, you have a starting score of 103,549. Ladies, your starting score is 73,458." Brad introduced the prize and starting scores.

"Oh. Nice!" Yusuke smiled.

"Alright challengers, go ahead and follow Nicole over there at the tower and she'll get you prepped and ready!"

"Jonny," Lacus raised her hand as if she were in school, "I don't notice any safety cables and that's a really long drop. Are we going to be using cables?"

"No."

"WHAT?" A large portion of the competitors yelped.

"It's 200 BLEEPING feet!" Faye protested.

"Yes…umm…do your best." And with that, Jonny trotted off to meet with the judges and prepare for the challenge.

"I don't believe this." Faye palmed her forehead in exasperation.

"Faye, hon," Android 18 placed a hand on the other's shoulder, "how long have you been here?"

"_Too_ long."

First up were the girls, and Lacus was hooked up to the heart monitor and ready to go. She could see the tank of alligators on the other side of the tower. She watched as they swam around, their eyes peering through the surface of the water, and it was then that she noticed something. "Hmm, are those not the exact same creatures that were used for our three-legged race?" She questioned the judge.

"Yes. We are literally _that_ cheap." One of the judges answered.

"…"

"Alright, Lacus," Jonny called up to her with a megaphone, "when you hear my horn, the judges will turn on a switch that connects the monitors to the trap door. So I want you to start focusing on getting your heart rate to 62bpm, okay?"

Lacus gave him a thumbs up as she adjusted her helmet. At least they were kind enough to supply them with _that_ much. Soon after, Jonny blew his horn, and Lacus closed her eyes. She could hear several members from the boys' team beginning with their taunting, but she ignored it.

"So Lacus," Came Duo's cheerful voice, "I never really did get a chance to ask you this. Not long ago, you were shamelessly used by a queer and made a fool of on national television in front of all of your teeny-bopper fans. Honestly, at this point, I don't even think fifty grand can buy back your dignity. How are you coping?"

His taunting generated a wave of guttural laughter to collect throughout his team. Lacus opened her eyes up slowly to gaze at the boys' line from the corner of her eye. She saw him then, his red-wine tresses blowing freely within the wind as he held his helmet under his arm. It wasn't hard to tell. He was chuckling, ever so subtly, with them. So casually and disrespectfully, Kurama was joining his teammates in their laughter. At her. She supposed she should've been enraged by it, but instead, something else happened.

"YO!" Pan shouted in excitement as Lacus was released with 54 seconds on the clock earning 500 points for herself and 1000 for her team. "Wait, was her heart rate 62bpm?" She nervously questioned the judge.

"58." The judge answered with a hint of shock.

"Wow, ok."

It was strange. Someone like Lacus, they would at least expect to scream on her way down toward the safety balloon. It was, after all, a 200 foot fall. Instead, she just glided down with the wind. The expression on her face was stony and unresponsive. Overall, it was just weird and slightly creepy.

"Yeah…yeah, that's weird." Pan stated as she watched the pink-haired girl make her way towards the safety balloon, finally reaching her destination and bouncing up and down until landing on the mat below.

"What?" Cagalli questioned.

"Talk to your friend when this is over. I think something's going on. Pan notified Cagalli, quietly.

"Why?"

"Not, now, Hiei's on the platform. I must taunt him." Pan smirked. "Hey, Hiei! I don't think you'll have to worry about the gators. They probably won't even bother with a small meal like you."

"Oh, that reminds me," Ryoko began, "I know you're a demon, which basically means that you're immortal. So, does this mean that you're gonna look like a 6th grader forever? Damn, that _must _keep you up at night, squirt!"

Hiei closed his eyes and focused only on the sound of his heart beating in his ears. As far as he was concerned, he was the only one present during the challenge. He was the only one doing battle, and his heart was his only opponent. He completely disappeared within himself, the taunting attempts by the girls being rendered useless as he truly couldn't even hear them. With his skills and experience, the task was a cakewalk to him. He hadn't even bothered to employ the supplied helmet. What did they take him for, some kind of amateur?

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I'm sure those incorrigible women were making the feeblest attempts to distract me from the mission. If anything, the only thing they succeeded at was demonstrating how unbearably stupid they are to even assume that I would be at all affected by such low-level tactics.**

63 seconds were on the clock when the trap door was released and Hiei began to make his free fall toward the safety balloon, his arms casually crossed and his body remaining in an upright position the whole way down. It took him 27 seconds to get his heart rate down to 48bpm, quickly earning 1000 points for his team and 500 for himself.

"Holy BLEEP, he should be dead." One of the judges exclaimed. "His heart rate hit 48!"

"He's a demon." Kurama interjected. "A demon's heart rate functions differently than that of a human's."

"Oh crap." Pan gulped. "How many demons do we have on our team?"

"Zero." Keiko sighed.

"And…how many do the boys have?"

"I think three…and a half." Keiko answered uncertainly.

"And a half?"

"Inuyasha." Keiko clarified.

"Damn." Pan leaned against the backboard of the tower. "We're screwed."

"Yes," Yusuke assured, "yes you are."

"Shut up, Yusuke!" Pan snapped.

"Careful there, firecracker. You don't wanna get yourself worked up. You might find yourself swimming with the gators." Yusuke winked.

"Ugh!"

Next up was Winry, who appeared to be beyond apprehensive. Beads of sweat were collecting at her temples, and her cheeks were rosy and flushed with anxiety.

"This is clearly going to end well." Sango noted to Kagome as she studied the blonde girl's disposition.

"Do your best, Winry!" Kagome encouraged.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I had been running all that morning and ever since that time, I could not, for the life of me, get my heart rate below 80. Couple that with the anticipation of the competition…I mean come on, alligators? I was doomed before I even began.**

Winry began to fidget with the frayed ends of her blue jean shorts, nervously. She could feel the temperature in her helmet rising as her body temperature went through the roof. She tried not to think about the gator tank and just focused on calming herself and releasing that trap door. She had to think of something. Anything. Something pleasant. Something that eased her mind, made her feel safe and as though all was right in the world. She looked to her right and saw Ed standing there with a familiar smirk on his face. It was the one he would always have whenever he accomplished something, or even when he was just putting someone in their place with his skills in alchemy. But it was also a look that reminded her of something else. And this look was both nostalgic and…peaceful.

She closed her eyes then and brought herself back to a time when that look was the one thing she would look forward to seeing each day. A warm smile crept upon her face at the reverie.

"68bpm. 42 seconds left." The judge announced. But she ignored it. She was elsewhere. She was trapped within a place of perfect peace, warmth, and love. A place that deep down, she so longed to spend eternity with…

_SNAP!_

At 21 seconds left on the clock, Winry felt her body being released to the earth below. Her eyes quickly shot open as she hadn't remembered if she felt the platform rotate or not. God forbid she be hurling at however many miles per hour toward a tank full of, no doubt underfed, alligators. A sigh of relief escaped her lips once she realized that she was in fact heading towards the safety balloon meaning that she had done it. She had managed to gain 1000 points for her team and 500 to her personal score. She could hear the cheering voices of her teammates in the background and it made her proud that she was the one responsible for their chorus of victory.

"Wow!" Kagome clapped. "I thought for sure that she'd blow it and end up over the tank!"

"I know! Way to go, Winry!" Miriallia cheered.

For the boys, it was time for Spike to step up to the plate. The bounty hunter appeared a little skittish but nothing too out of the ordinary. At least, that's what his teammates believed. Faye on the other hand, she knew that his behavior was off, and she refused to believe that Spike Spiegel was nervous about the challenge. "Spike, don't tell me you're nervous about a few little harmless alligators." Faye teased. When Spike failed to answer her and only blinked, she became legitimately worried. "Spike?" No answer.

"Is he…" Botan was concerned as well.

"I don't know…Spike!" Faye called out a third time.

"Geez…what!" Spike bit back.

"What's wrong with you? You're acting…strange." Faye observed.

"Why don't you worry about your own teammates, Valentine!" Spike spat. It was obvious that he was nervous about something, and it became even more clear once Jonny blew his horn.

"91bpm. 85 seconds remaining." The judge announced.

"What the…" Yusuke was baffled, "what are you, having a heart attack, dude? Calm down!"

"Yes. By all means, _yell_ at him. That'll definitely help him to find inner peace." Faye rolled her eyes.

"Faye, shut up." Yusuke retorted before returning his attentions back to his teammate. "Spike, man, what's wrong. You're the last person I'd expect to be nervous over something like this."

The man couldn't speak, but only stare down. The ground below began to grow blurry the more he stared at it. He couldn't understand but something had definitely thrown him off of his game that day.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) It was the bats, okay? They really…shook me up. I had a…bad experience with bats as a kid. It's this whole thing. L-leave me alone! *POUTS***

"89bpm. 22 seconds left."

"Oh come on!" Yusuke groaned.

"Seriously, Spike? I know you're not afraid of heights, okay. I've seen you scale a skyscraper…on foot…running!" Faye was in so much disbelief, she was even drawn to help her bounty hunter partner with the challenge.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) The building was rigged with teddy bombs! I've seen this guy do the impossible and not even blink. So needless to say, I was genuinely shocked. Amused and satisfied. But shocked.**

"82bpm. 0 seconds remaining. Platform is now rotating." The judge updated the status of the match.

"BLEEP me. I don't believe this." Yusuke slammed his face into the palm of his hand as he leaned his forehead against the backboard of the tower, not wanting to witness the horrific events of Spike Spiegel's failure.

There he was, hovering about alligator infested tank waters. Surprisingly, this didn't do anything to raise his heart rate. In fact, his heart rate decided to continue its descent, much to Spike's chagrin.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) I was trying to make it so that my heart rate stayed steady until I was over the balloon again. But I was just really having an off day. Usually I have expert control over all of my body functions. Not including flatulence of course, but that's another discussion for another day. Yeah, I dunno, I just couldn't hone my skills. I had too many distractions and it just…wasn't a good day.**

"73bpm. 44 seconds remaining."

Not seconds later did the floor open, releasing Spike as he hurled fast toward the gator tank. "ShBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP !" He shouted the entire way down, earning 450 points for his team, and 200 for himself.

"Ohmygod!" Kagome gasped.

"Heavens, this can't be legal!" Aeka cried.

"When have these people _ever_ cared about the law, Aeka? I mean, really!" Cagalli grasped her hair not believing what she was about to see.

"SPIKE!" Faye cried out, a little _too_ nervously, causing the other challengers to give her a strange look. She fervently peered down from the tower and watched as Spike fell directly into the tank, the gators in its confines going straight for the new addition to their space. Faye immediately went to collar up one of the judges, much to the shock of everyone else. "Enough of this bullBLEEP! You get someone to get their ass down there and help him right now, damn it!"

"I-I c-can't. It's…it's not in the rules!"

"BLEEP your gBLEEP damn rules! I don't give a shBLEEP about your BLEEPING rules! Get him out of there now, or so help me I will throw your ass overboard right in there with him and give your little reptilian friends a nice little blonde-haired distraction!"

"Whoa, Faye, calm-"

"I swear to God, if the next word out of your mouth is 'down,' you're gonna find yourself going rub-a-dub-dub with the gators in the tub, also!" Faye cut off Pan who was attempting to calm her down.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) Okay. That was completely out of nowhere. No one could believe how Faye just went off on that judge. And for Spike of all people. I mean…we all knew they came together and knew each other before the competition. But no one was expecting her to go off like that. Besides, she didn't seem to care much when Tigre was trying to umm…get a piece of that, if you know what I'm saying. *WINKS***

"But, Faye," Pan began carefully, "Spike's fine. I dunno about the gators, but he's definitely fine. Look!" Pan pointed downward toward Spike who was wrestling the two alligators in the tank.

On the way down, he had removed his shoe laces and shirt employing them as ropes to snugly tie the creatures' jowls shut. The wet, tanned skin of his bare torso glistened in the sunlight as he calmly swam out of the tank, having essentially reduced the threat in the alligator tank by closing their mouths…literally. "Now, if only we could do that to a couple of the chicks, this game would run a lot smoother." He joked to himself as he wiped his hands together in a dusting motion, and casually exited the tanks.

"Dude! That was hardcore!" Dearka cheered along with the rest of the boys' team.

"Oh wait a minute," Yusuke came to a realization, "yo Spike! Did you do that on purpose?" Yusuke yelled down to his teammate.

"Of course I did! What you think I'm having my teammates take a risk with gators after Tigre?"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" His entire team frantically chorused.

"Oh." Faye breathed, having collected herself.

"Umm, Faye," Kagome regarded her teammate, "you wanna…explain what _that _was all about?"

"What _what_ was all about?"

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) Oh, I see. So **_**that's**_** how we're gonna play it. Figures. *ROLLS EYES***

Following Spike's impromptu act of heroism, it was now Keiko's turn. The girl had mostly been quite and stayed to herself while on the platform. She had been trying to calm herself, but she couldn't help but constantly think about what Bra had said and how much the other girl's words had royally pissed her off. In fact, the other girl had been grating on her nerves since the first day they met when they started the competition. Her eyes grazed over to the girl who was currently the bane of her existence. She noticed how she proceeded to casually converse and laugh with Yusuke as the two discussed how 'sweet' it was when Spike wrestled the alligators. And right in front of her.

"Keiko," The judge gained her attention, "you're up, hon. Stand here."

"Right." Keiko blinked. Her eyes drifted once again to Yusuke and Bra as the two continued to amicably go on and on about Spike's actions, which, the more she heard about it, the less spectacular it became. She watched as Bra playfully palmed Yusuke's forearm for just a second. Though it was just a second, it was enough to make her blood boil.

"…_I wouldn't need to convince you to break up with him to get him…"_

"_If I wanted your boyfriend, I could get him in a heartbeat…"_

Bra's words lingered in her mind, and played over again like a broken record. She then began to think about how she had seen Bra so easily gain the attention of all of the guys during their first time at _Razzle's_. She just drew guys to her like a magnet so effortlessly, it was like some sort of art for her. Then there was the subject of Yusuke and his apparent affinity for women with sex appeal and finesse. Qualities that she knew that she didn't have. She was quite ordinary and plain. When they went to _Razzle's _that time, she didn't exactly draw the guys in like Bra, did. Not that she was trying. It was just the principle. Sometimes she did wonder why Yusuke was with her. They were so different is so many ways. Yet, they were similar in others, and it was their similarities that she tried to focus on. She would be lying, however, if she said that there were times when she felt that Yusuke would leave her for someone more exciting and…wild.

"83bpm. 21 seconds remaining. 10th rotation." She finally slipped out of herself to realize that she hadn't focused at all on lowering her heart rate.

"Oh no." She whispered to herself

"Keiko, please try to calm down." Serena encouraged. At this point, she was the only one offering words of encouragement as the others had long given up. They knew that after the incident earlier, the chances of Keiko's heart rate dropping below 80 were slim to none. They could practically still see the vein of rage protruding in her forehead.

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) It was as if she couldn't even hear us. Her heart rate was 91bpm when she first started. Nearly ten minutes and she still didn't drop below 80. Poor, Keiko. I just didn't know what else to do for her.**

Bra watched with a look of triumph in her scheming eyes as the ten minutes finally expired and the floor gave way, releasing Keiko to a big fat DQ. "Hmph." She smirked.

**I've fallen, I have sunk so low, I messed up. Better I should know, so don't come 'round here, and tell me I told you so…**

Keiko watched as her team grew further and further away. She wasn't certain, but as she made her descent to the balloon, she could've sworn that she caught Bra smiling. Her brow furrowed as that thought crossed her mind.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I know I wasn't just imagining it. I know I saw Bra smiling when she saw me DQ. Now, this is strange. Why is this strange, you ask? Because the Bra I have had the displeasure to get to know, hates it when we fail. Fight or no fight. Her philosophy has always been 'get over it, and win.' So, for her to be smiling when I DQ'ed is extremely odd.**

**MTV Producer: How are you an honor student? In what ass-backwards universe are **_**you**_** an **_**honor**_** student?**

**Keiko: …**

**MTV Producer: *FACEPALM***

The game had gone on quite closely from that point on. To the boys' surprise, the girls were actually doing quite well of lowering their heart rate within 90 seconds. It was rather unexpected. Considering how much bickering and complaining they were known for, they had expected their heart rates to be damn near tachycardic. Bra, of course, managed to make it within the 90 second time frame, as did Hilde. As a result of Keiko's DQ, her score was brought down significantly, leaving barely a hundred point difference between her and Hilde. Hilde was sure she should've been excited for the accomplishment, but it was thus tainted and she couldn't help but be miserable about it.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) On the bright side, got to see Bra get slapped. So, small victories. *SHRUGS***

At the end of the day, the true victors lied with the ladies by a full 1000 points worth of difference. Inuyasha would forever kick himself for letting Kagome's mentioning Kikyo get to him. Try as he might, there was no force on Earth that could make him lower his heart rate once _that_ infuriating subject was brought up.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) Yeah that's it, they always hold it in and then lay it on us at the worst times! Well played, Kagome. Well played. Stupid girl! *POUTING***

"Alright guys, that was intense!" Jonny exclaimed. "First of all, let's give it up to Spike for taking the bite out of the gator tank! Dude, that was awesome!"

"I know." Spike pretended to not enjoy the applause that he was receiving.

"Yeah, I'm glad you were able to do that, I thought Faye was gonna have a heart attack, she was so worried about you!" Serena added, causing Faye to give her a disagreeable look.

"Was she now?" Spike smirked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Spike." Faye denied. "I think that girl wrapped her meatballs too tight this morning. She has no idea what she's talking about."

"Uh…huh." Spike spared Faye a look as he turned his attention back to Jonny.

"Jonny!" Faye prompted their host to proceed.

"Right, okay so today's challenge was pretty close. Good job both teams, but ultimately there can be only one winner. And that title, goes to the ladies! Guys, your final score is 114,049 and ladies your final score is 84,958. Chibi Wolf Hero recipient and winner of today's challenge is Hiei for finishing in the fastest time."

The girls didn't even hear the last portion about Hiei winning the team prize. What would a fire demon do with a Blu-Ray player and _Breaking Bad _box set anyway? They were too busy jumping up and down in their celebratory cheers. It was a victory that would make two consecutive wins in a row for their team. And they were determined to make it three.

_**Eliminations**_

Eliminations proceeded as normal, for the girls' team anyway. They decided to send Serena home, as she had the lowest score. Once again, the girls' Inner Circle demonstrated that they would stick to their guns of sending home players with the lowest score. The boys, however, had once again deviated from their usual elimination routine of releasing the player with the lowest score. This time, they let Dearka go, and he was quite far from the bottom. It didn't make any sense. Moreover, Dearka seemed to be completely fine with the decision.

"Later guys. Kick ass in the final challenge." He gave his team a knowing look, who returned with understanding nods. He then regarded Bra, and immediately turned his flirt on, "Sorry, babe, but it looks like I've gotta blow this joint."

Bra looked around as if to try to figure out who Dearka was talking to. "I'm sorry, are you talking to _me_?"

"I'm looking at you, aren't I?" Dearka rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that would be the confusing part. I don't know where you got the idea that I was your _babe_ but you're quite mistaken." Bra folded her arms in defiance.

"What? But…we…at your party-"

"Yeah. And _how_ long ago was that?" Bra started to tap her foot impatiently. Dearka could only stare at her with a confused look. "Ugh, seriously Dearka? The fact that you actually think you could retain my attention for more than a week is laughable. Adorable. But laughable." She then mock waved as the transportation vans pulled up to pick up the eliminated players.

"Wow. Okay. Whatever, Bra." Dearka chuckled and shooed Bra off as he headed towards the transportation van.

**Dearka: Gundam SEED (Guys) That chick has serious **_**issues**_**. I'm not kidding. *PHONE BUZZES WITH TEXT MESSAGE* What the…really? Wow, you're never gonna guess who **_**this**_** is from. *HOLDS SCREEN UP TO SHOW MESSAGE***

_**From Bra: Hey, what r u doing?**_

**Dude…**_**issues**_**! Anyone know how to block a person on a **_**Galaxy S3**_**?**

The girls said their goodbyes to Serena who tried to hold back tears upon her exit. "I'm gonna miss you guys! Call me?"

"We definitely will!" Botan sniffed.

"Tell Yukina to keep in touch, too. And tell her I really did miss having her as a roommate when she left." A small tear rolled down Serena's cheek.

"Oh I will."

"Oh and Keiko, try to cheer up, okay? Don't let anyone make you miss out on your goals. You're gonna beat this, I know it." Serena smiled.

"Thank you, Serena." Keiko gave the blonde girl a warm hug.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) Would you believe that that actually went on for like 20 minutes? It had to be cut for time because apparently, girls turn into blubbering idiots when a friend goes to another location on Earth that is easily able to be visited. **

_**Literally 20 minutes later…**_

"Bye guys, I'm really really gonna miss you. Even you Bra. I know you're not really like that and really have a good, kind, heart underneath!" Serena waved from the transportation van.

"No she doesn't," Trunks added flatly, "go home."

"Bye, Kagome and Sango. I'll really miss you guys!"

"Goodbye, Serena!" Kagome held back tears.

Duo had to pinch the bridge of his nose. The goodbyes were dragging on far too long. "Goodbye Scarecrow. I think I'll miss you most of all." He mocked amongst his teammates, who chuckled to themselves.

"I know, right?" Yusuke quietly griped. "Just get in the damn balloon and float away already, Dorothy!"

Serena and Dearka had finally made their departure away from the competition leaving the challengers to return to the villas two players short. It had been a long, grueling day of personal and competition challenges, and it would only amplify as the days went on.

_**Starfish curbside…**_

The girls had decided to throw themselves another celebratory party in their villa. The muffled sounds of "Run the World (Girls)" by Beyoncé could be heard all the way outside as it blared through the stereo system. Hilde and Ryoko, in spite of the win for their team, weren't exactly in the mood for the festivities. They had more pressing issues to attend to; a darkness to overcome. And the name of that darkness was Bra Briefs.

Hilde took a drag from yet another cigarette that she had bummed off of Faye as she and Ryoko sat on the curb in deep thought on how to repair their very messed up situation.

"I sure hope you're not making a habit of that." Ryoko made a pointed comment about Hilde's new smoking vice.

"I'm not." Hilde answered idly as a thick cloud of smoke snaked its way from between her parted lips.

"Yeah." Ryoko absently fiddled with a few pebbles on the ground as she rested her chin on her knees. They had to think of something, and thus far nothing useful was populating in their minds. So far, all they had was slipping _Nair_ in her conditioner. And while it would certainly prove to be entertaining, it wouldn't serve their main purpose which was to essentially get Bra off of their backs.

"This is sad. All of my training as a soldier and experience with war, battle strategy, and special ops yet I _still_ can't figure out how to get some spoiled, rich, little brat out of my hair." Hilde extinguished her cigarette on the ground and rested her chin in her hand.

"Tell me about it. I've been a hardcore, renowned space pirate for eons, and even _I'm_ stumped as to how to get Hell-Barbie to back off." Ryoko sighed.

There was a brief moment of silence as the two watched the sun set over the distant horizon, causing the sky to take on a beautiful, warm, orange-pink tint. That's when it finally hit her. A proverbial light bulb went off, as Hilde drew closer to concocting a plan. "Hey, isn't Bra the newly appointed CEO of her family's company, Capsule Corps?"

"Yeah, once the competition is finished. Why?"

A devious smirk spread across Hilde's lips as a plan finally emerged. Pulling out her cellphone, she searched through her contacts and selected the number that she wanted to dial. Waiting for her party to pick up, her stomach churned with anticipation. The solution was there all along, and she couldn't believe she didn't immediately consider it the first time Bra tried to pull her intimidation tactics on them. She finally heard her party answer after a few rings, and was thanking her lucky stars that the hardest part was finally over. "Hi, this is Hilde Schbeiker, we met a while ago at Bra's birthday party."

Ryoko watched the other girl intently as she continued on with her phone conversation. "How is Bra you ask? Well, that's actually why I'm calling you. I sort of have a bit of a favor to ask of you."

_**Capsule Corps Main HQ…**_

"Oh? What kind of favor?" Bulma Briefs questioned with perked interest.

"_It's regarding your daughter."_

End Chapter

* * *

**Next Chapter - Chapter 26: Predator**

_Hilde and Ryoko implement the ultimate revenge plot against Bra. Meanwhile, Lacus genuinely angers Kurama and the two officially declare war, and the girls get a new "special" houseguest._


	26. Predator

A/N: Here's chapter 26, in all of it's insane drama glory. I gotta say, I'm really going to miss writing for this story. It was a great way to cut loose and pour out all of my frustrations. Really, I'm having a ball. Hope you feel the same!

**Disclaimer: **I own no one but the OCs. That's all.

**Song(s) Disclaimer: **"Everyday I'm Hustlin'" by Rick Ross; "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg; "One Thousand Years of a Tarantula" by Dengue Fever; "Trading Places" by Usher

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 26: Predator**

_**Crazy Early Sunday Morning in White Shore…**_

The boys all collected in their villa's exercise gym to do some weight training for their morning routine. It had rained heavily overnight leaving the ground damp, muddy, and a nemesis to their ever cherished running shoes. So it was times like this when they would reserve their training to the weight room.

"Come on, Duo, five more." Heero coached his partner as he spotted the other during his bench pressing session. The braided boy had managed to do 30 reps of 200lbs. He was starting to feel the burn in his triceps and shoulders as he slowly brought the bar down to his chin before attempting rep number 31. His arms were beginning to shake as he struggled to lift the weight for a 31st time.

"ShBLEEP!" Duo cursed as he fought to push through the remaining four reps before finally resting the weight on its rack. He sat up and massaged his shoulders and arms to relieve the ache that had developed. "Hey, Kira. Toss me that _Icy/Hot_, would ya!"

Heero came around the bench to face Duo, folding his arms in disappointment as he observed the Deathscythe pilot rub the aforementioned _Icy/Hot _onto his shoulders and triceps, sighing from the sweet relief of the ointment. Heero could only shake his head at the display, the motion drawing Duo's attention to his fellow Gundam pilot.

"What?" Duo griped. "We can't _all_ be the 'Perfect Soldier!'"

"That's not the point, Duo. You usually can bench more than that in higher reps." Heero stated flatly.

"Well, someone's observant. You been tracking my regimens, Heero? What's next, ya gonna tell me when I fix my special protein shakes?"

"4pm." Heero answered simply, causing Duo to only roll his eyes as he continued to rub the ointment on his sore muscles.

"Hey," Athrun started, "speaking of protein shakes. What's going on with the lack of variety in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, there's barely anything in there at all." Kira furrowed his brow, looking pointedly to their leader who had busied himself with the quad machine.

Yusuke halted his leg presses as he suddenly felt the entire gym's eyes on him. "What?"

"Yusuke," Ed slowly approached his teammate, "you wouldn't happen to know why the only food left in the kitchen is bananas, milk, cinnamon, and _Muscle Milk _would you?"

"Why do you ask?" Yusuke cocked an eye.

"Well, it's just that…it's the producers' responsibility to keep the kitchen stocked with the foods that we request. So the only way they would keep what's in there now stocked is if the team leader…i.e. _you_, asked them to." Ed finished with an awkward smile, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah," Yusuke shrugged, "so what if I did request it? It's all we need." Yusuke answered simply as he continued with his leg presses.

"You're joking, right?" Ed half-chuckled.

"No, I'm not. With proper exercise and a consistent diet of the _Muscle Milk_, we'll be in tip-top condition for the final challenge." Yusuke rationalized.

"What?" Ed gulped.

"Did I stutter?" Yusuke rolled his eyes.

Ed couldn't believe what he was hearing. Yusuke had never really been so snippy with his team, before. Perhaps the prospect of the final challenge's outcome was weighing on him.

"Yusuke," Hiei decided to chime in, "I may not have the same _physical _needs as the rest of the members of our team. However, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that they perform at their best after a full meal. I'm not interested in doing anything that could jeopardize our team."

"Neither am I, Hiei. Glad we can agree on that." Yusuke strained as he continued with his leg press reps.

The clanking of the metal weights seemed to echo throughout the entire gym. "Clearly we are not as…the team feels that they will not be…able to perform at their…" Hiei listened as the clanking became louder and closer in succession, "will you desist that incessant clattering for a moment and listen to reason, Yusuke?"

"Hiei dude," Yusuke huffed in exasperation, "look, if you want them to eat so badly, why don't you go to the grocery store and pick something up yourself? As it stands, the only food tickets I'll be putting in to the producers are gonna be for what you see in the kitchen right now."

Hiei narrowed his eyes toward his friend and teammate, watching as he completely disregarded his suggestions. It hardly amused him.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I suppose that Yusuke assumed that because of the dismissive tone that he used with me that I would stand for my extremely useful and rational suggestions being ignored. He clearly has much to learn about me.**

_**20 minutes later at Wal-Mart…**_

Hiei and Ed walked down the snack aisle as the blonde alchemist read off the mile long list of items that the rest of his team had demanded they pick up at the grocery store. "They _do_ realize that we're on a budget, right?" Ed sighed as he viewed the list full of unnecessary items ranging from _Oreo_ Cakesters to _Snickers_ Bites.

"Give that to me." Hiei demanded as he stood behind the cart. He snatched the grocery list from Ed, frowning as his eyes scrolled down the list of ridiculous junk that flooded the sheet. Balling the paper up, he tossed it over his shoulder in frustration. "Fools." Hiei snipped as he pushed the cart down the aisle, grabbing random items from the shelves and angrily tossing them into the cart.

"Whoa, wait…Hi-Hiei! We only have 78 dollars!" Ed panicked as he trotted behind the fire demon who was speeding down the aisle thoughtlessly tossing anything he laid his hands on from the racks into the shopping cart.

**Everyday I'm hustlin' everyday I'm hustlin' everyday I'm hustiln' everyday I'm hustlin'…**

_**1 hour later at White Shore…**_

Yusuke had locked himself in his room having explained to the rest of his teammates that he needed 'alone time to think.' The rest of the boys had gathered in the common area, trying to come to terms with what was going through their leader's head.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) I can understand Yusuke needing the alone time to collect his thoughts. He's been given a huge responsibility with carrying the weight of this team on his shoulders. However, I personally don't find it necessary to announce to the team such…**_**needs**_**. I usually just grab one of Duo's monthly periodicals and excuse myself to the restroom. One must exercise taste, decorum and cleanliness with such matters. Especially cleanliness. *CLEARLY HAS THE WRONG IDEA***

"I say we mutiny." Spike suggested. "The thing with the food may seem like a small thing now, but I'm telling you it's just the tip of the iceberg, men. Yusuke is going too far."

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) He took the bacon. The BACON, ladies and gentlemen. And it was smoked. That's unforgivable.**

"Maybe we should just give him a minute to let it all sink in." Trunks raised.

"He's had ample time to let it sink in." Spike growled. "And I promise you all that since it's sunk in, he's taking it out on us."

"Spike, it's only food." Athrun sighed.

"No. Bacon was lost! This is serious."

"I'm not worried about it." Inuyasha folded his arms behind his head as he reclined himself on the chaise lounge. "Whatever Yusuke decides is best, I'll go with it. He's one of the few of you humans that I can trust to make good calls on the battlefront."

"Yeah, I hate to agree with dogbreath, here, but I think you guys are overreacting. Yusuke wouldn't do anything to harm the team." Koga added.

"I guess…" Athrun scratched his chin.

"We've come this far under his leadership," Inuyasha rationalized, "no need to start bitching about the little things, now."

"Fine, have it your way." Spike raised his hands in surrender. "But mark my words. I know when someone is on the verge of snapping. Feel free to keep the wool over your eyes, though."

"Puh! Whatever, Spike." Inuyasha snorted.

**Inuyasha: Inuyasha (Guys) I think that we've been at the top too long. Obviously, the girls are no longer a threat, so we really don't have anything to fight against anymore. This is why you don't pit men against women in competitions. Men get bored and eventually turn on each other. It ruins the natural order of things.**

**MTV producer: You mean kinda like the existence of a half-human, half-demon hybrid societal outcast?**

**Inuyasha: ****t(-_-t)**

Kurama stood outside by the pool of his villa taking a breather from his weight training. He glanced across the field that divided his team's villa from the girls' headquarters. He was surprised to see that they had actually remained consistent with their training routines and had to chuckle inwardly as he observed Pan really getting into her role as training captain. For someone so small, she certainly knew how to take command and control over a situation. He supposed the girl was just a natural-born leader.

He saw that Keiko was also really pushing herself to the brink to be successful with her upper-body training. The girl proceeded to execute several push-up reps, in the muddied ground, even. He smiled warmly as he didn't expect anything less from her. She had heart, determination, and was extremely strong-willed. It was many of the reasons that Yusuke was with her, and he couldn't say that he blamed him. She was quite the catch.

His eyes then rested on Lacus who was engaged in a knife throwing session with Hilde. Apparently, the other had learned a bit of the skill from Catherine and was passing on the knowledge to her pink-haired teammate. He didn't know if it was Lacus' personality or the fact that she was a Coordinator, but the girl seemed to pick up on the art rather quickly, though her throwing technique could've used some work. He smiled inwardly as he continued to watch her from afar.

It was as if she could feel his eyes on her as she turned to face him then, the look in her eyes inquisitive and mildly bewildered. She waited for Hilde to return from down range and hand her the knives once again before she proceeded to throw them at her target a second time. She could still feel him watching her and it was beginning to annoy her. "Ugh."

"What?" Hilde frowned.

"Just a moment, please, Hilde." Lacus gently placed the knives onto the ground as she made her way over to Kurama.

"Good morning, Miss Clyne." Kurama greeted with a hint of a smirk in his voice.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Lacus cut to the chase.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You were watching me just now." Lacus stated.

"Yes, I suppose that I was." Kurama nodded. "While we're on the subject, might I suggest that you not reach back past your shoulder when catapulting your knives towards your target? It affects the delivery and acceleration rate. Currently, your delivery and overall form is quite sloppy."

"Why, are you being so mean to me?" Lacus was genuinely curious.

"I'm not being mean, Lacus. I am simply being direct. It's entirely up to you if you wish to heed my advice or not." Kurama smiled.

"How is that being dir-" Lacus was cut off by the sound of Kurama's cellphone, the other condescendingly raising an index finger to request a moment to take his call.

Viewing the display, Kurama noticed that it was a call from his mother and was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of anxiety.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) During the competition, I had received word from my father that Mother had once again fallen ill. Perhaps the Forlorn Hope's powers were limited in that regard. She had had a doctor's appointment early in the morning to receive an MRI and told me she'd call me with the results. So naturally, I was quite anxious to receive that phone call.**

Lacus noted the rude way in which he interrupted her and immediately became angry. She didn't know what came over her in that moment, but she just reacted. Letting her anger get the best of her, the Coordinator slapped Kurama's hand, the action causing him to lose grip of his cellphone as it was hurled into the nearby pool.

The atmosphere suddenly became cold and awkward as Lacus widened her eyes in shock at what had just happened, covering her mouth in remorse. Kurama said nothing but only stared at his _HTC One_ lying at the bottom of the pool, the look in his eyes frozen and unreadable. He then turned to glare darkly at Lacus, it was clear that he was genuinely pissed off. Lacus could only feel heavy with guilt and regret at what she had just done.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) I didn't mean for that to happen. Really, I didn't. At most, I was expecting him to drop it on the ground…not that that makes it any better. I'm absolutely horrible! *AMAZINGLY SELF-AWARE***

"Kurama…" Lacus couldn't even find the words.

"I must say, out of all of the girls on your team, besides Keiko, I thought the most highly of you and thought that you possessed the most maturity." Kurama began lowly. "I now realize that I was wrong and that you're just as bad as the rest of them. In fact, you're worse. You are a child. That is incredibly disappointing." Kurama's eyes remained glued upon his cellphone at the bottom of the pool.

"Kurama, I am so sorry, I-"

"Clearly it's a war that you're looking to wage. I am more than happy to oblige you in that regard." Kurama stated harshly.

"No, I-"

"You need to leave now, Lacus." Kurama ordered sternly, to which Lacus complied without question.

Moments later, Duo stepped outside from their villa to see the kitsune standing stiffly by the pool. "There you are, red! What are you doing, man?" Duo approached his teammate from behind. Coming up beside him he noticed that he refused to remove his eyes from whatever he was looking at in the pool. "What's going on?" Duo frowned. He then followed Kurama's line of sight, finally able to see what had the fox demon so transfixed. "Oh dude…that sucks."

Kurama only shook his head slowly, narrowing his emerald gaze slightly as he continued to stare at his now undoubtedly ruined cellphone.

Duo could tell that his teammate was devastated and was at a loss as to how to cheer him up. "Hey, you know, I heard that putting it in uncooked rice actually fixes it if it's dropped in water."

"That theory only applies to circumstances where the phone has had a minimal amount of water exposure. My phone is currently submerged in three feet of water."

"Yeah but, it could still work. Right? I mean it's worth a shot." Duo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Kurama only gave Duo a look before walking away from the area, leaving his cellphone at the bottom of the pool. He headed for the sliding glass door to enter their villa.

"Well, Kurama, don't leave it down there! Maybe you can take it back to the store or something!" Duo called out as he removed his shirt and stepped into the pool to retrieve the cellphone. Lifting the device out of the water, he attempted to turn it on to no avail as the screen flashed white once and again went black. "Oh come on." Duo began to tap the device as if to jar it back to normal functionality.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Wow that SUCKS! I dropped mine in the toilet once and let me tell ya, I hope he backed up his info because if not, well…ah yeah…that SUCKS! Damn.**

Kurama headed for the stairs toward his and Hiei's room. He pushed the door open and noticed Hiei's cellphone charging on the other's nightstand. He walked over to borrow it to return his mother's phone call, quite certain that Hiei wouldn't mind. After all, he rarely saw the fire demon use the device and assumed that Hiei considered it to be a useless Human World gadget, anyway. Besides, it was only a prepaid phone that Yusuke had bought for the fire demon to use whenever he ventured to the Human World. Surely, Hiei wouldn't mind Kurama borrowing it momentarily to return an important phone call.

Kurama disconnected the device from its charger and flipped it open to begin dialing the needed number. He was immediately thrown off and shocked by the text message that rested on Hiei's screen once he opened it, however. Especially who it was from.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) O_O**

_**Early morning in Starfish…**_

Keiko paced back and forth in her and Botan's room in her bath towel, having just returned from a nice long, hot shower. She had been trying to get a hold of Yusuke all morning, but noticed that he was ignoring her calls. She couldn't understand why he would do such a thing. Sure they were on opposite teams for the competition, but in truth, Yusuke never really let the game get between their relationship.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I know that it may seem like I'm coming off as a "crazy, clingy girlfriend" but I have a good reason. Since this game started, even though we've been on opposing teams, Yusuke would still remind me how much he cares about me by texting me something sweet first thing in the morning so that it was the first thing I saw when I woke up, and at night so it's the last thing I see before I go to bed. But he hasn't done that for days now, and he's also being very avoidant with me, so of course I'm concerned.**

"Keiko." Botan walked into the room from her shower, noticing that Keiko seemed upset. "Is everything all right?"

"No, it's not, Botan. It's Yusuke." Keiko lowered her eyes as she placed her cellphone on her dresser.

"What? Something's wrong with Yusuke?" Botan was worried.

"I don't know. He hasn't been speaking to me. In fact, I get the impression that he's avoiding me on purpose." Keiko's voice was small and uncertain.

"Oh no, don't say that Keiko." Botan encouraged. "I'm sure he's just…distracted by the competition. You know Yusuke, always with the competitive spirit."

"Maybe." Keiko frowned.

Outside of Keiko and Botan's room, Hilde and Ryoko could hear their conversation from the hallway. They lowered their heads in shame, knowing that they were partly responsible for the doubts that existed in Keiko's mind about her relationship with Yusuke. The two ventured upstairs to Hilde's room, too filled with regret to stick around and listen to more of Keiko's words.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) How terrible are we that we used Keiko's relationship with Yusuke against her just to weasel our way into the Inner Circle? We're completely blaming Bra for all of it. One, because it's easier. Two, because it's true. And three, because admitting that I'm a coward is out of the question. Bra will get what's coming to her, though. In fact, said penance is currently in progress. *EVIL SMIRK***

Bra sat on the edge of the bed in Cheza and Blue's old room on the 1st floor in the back of the villa away from life forms of any kind. She stared grimly at one of her bags lying on the floor, nibbling absently on her thumbnail. Having been kicked out of her and Pan's room by the other girl, she had moved all of her stuff into her new quarters and had just finished unpacking. Pan hadn't ordered Bra's removal from their room out of anger, however. No, her reasoning behind the decision was for a far more hilarious situation.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I don't know why, but my work phones had started ringing and beeping non-stop around 4:00am this morning. I checked my work email and noticed that all of my start dates in my **_**Outlook**_** calendar had been pushed back by a month. The same was true for all of my important meetings. It didn't make any sense! Instead of commencing my active duties as CEO of Capsule Corp **_**after **_**I'm done with the competition, I've somehow been set to start 9:00am, London, England time today which is where my lovely parents have my new office headquarters set up. It's like I've slipped into the final circle of Hell.**

"Gosh, finally, Mom!" Bra spoke on her cellphone to her mother, trying to put on her most humble and sweet voice. Unfortunately, the act only worked on her father, but she had to try. "Mother, my number one lady. You gave me life, and I love you for it dearly. Can I ask a question?"

"_Sure, sweetie. Go right ahead." _Bulma's distorted voice could be heard through Bra's cellphone speaker.

"I've got a bit of a problem, here." Bra began carefully. "You see, around 4:00am, my time, the Capsule Corp phones and PDAs started going off. All at once. It was crazy. I mean who calls at four in the morning on a Sunday anyway? Isn't today supposed to be sacred or something? Can I sue for that? Anyway, I checked my mail, and I've got like four meetings scheduled in one day…today actually. And then for the rest of the week I'm booked for these teleconferences and I just don't know what to do because I got an email from this guy in the Australian branch, I guess, asking questions about the "numbers" PDF files that apparently need my signature. All 372 of them. And I don't even know what the numbers are. I mean am I supposed to read them through because I opened up one of the files and it was nothing but…numbers." Bra felt as though she was losing it.

"_Those are accounting reports, hon. They just need your signature so we don't risk getting audited."_ Bulma explained.

"But, Mom, I don't even know what they mean. They're just a bunch of…numbers and do they _all_ need my signature? I told you there's like 372 documents and that guy said he'll have more for me tomorrow and I'm like…there's more? I can't do this." Bra complained.

"_Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to, Bra. You have a responsibility to the family business. And if you have any intentions of maintaining your inheritance, it would be in your best interest to follow through with those responsibilities as standing CEO of Capsule Corp." _Bulma ordered.

"Wait, my inheritance is on the line? I thought it was just the private jet and ranch!" Bra whined.

"_Nope! It's your entire inheritance. Now, you're more than welcome to forfeit your position as CEO, but the no limit credit card and your Trust go with it. If you think _this_ job is a pain, I'd love to see how you fair flipping burgers in a funny hat just to pay your cellphone bill." _Bulma's voice was stern yet gentle.

"This can't be happening! Mom, there's no way that I'll be able to do all of this _and_ concentrate on winning this competition! That's why we agreed to wait until I was done before I started work, remember? Why'd you guys change your minds?" Bra stood to her feet and paced around the room, anxiously.

"_Well, your father and I discussed it, and we feel that family obligation is far more important than allowing you to focus all of your time and energy on playing games in the states."_ Bulma explained.

"No. That's…no, Trunks!" Bra tried to throw her older brother under the bus.

"_Your brother has already fulfilled his family responsibility. And he did an excellent job at it. I hope that you won't disappoint us and do as well as your brother." _

"This is a nightmare." Bra groaned.

"_Oh, that reminds me! To ensure that you will be the best at your job, I've taken the liberty of enrolling you into a business apprenticeship program at Oxford University in England. You're expected to attend in the Fall for the entire school year. And Bra, you had better attend, and your grades better be up to par, otherwise you can kiss your entire inheritance goodbye. Now, I'm afraid I have some last minute business to take care of here on my end. I'll talk to you later. Any questions you have about how it's done, feel free to ask your brother or myself. Good luck sweetie, your father and I love you very much!"_

"Love? LOVE! Is that a joke? This is child abuse!" Bra shrieked.

"_Yes, I know, I love you too hon. Kisses!" _Bulma hung up the phone then, leaving Bra to a room full of ringing phones and email alerts.

Bra picked up the _Blackberry_ noticing the email from someone in the European branch going on about something…in French. "Great, so now I have to be bilingual, too? What _is_ this? I can't even…"

(Insert "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg here, lol)

Having all of the responsibilities piled on her at once, Bra could feel herself becoming extremely overwhelmed and on the verge of a meltdown. The ringing and beeping wouldn't stop. It was endless.

File a report there.

Sign a document here.

Attend this meeting and that meeting and don't forget to smile.

"No, this…I can't…" Bra began to shake from the stress and pressure, her eye twitching as yet another email alert came in on her _Blackberry_, this time in German. "No."

'_Die monatlichen Berichte der Frankfurter Niederlassung sind dieser E-Mail angehängt. Bitte senden…'_

"No." And yet another in French.

'_S'il vous plaît signer les documents ci-joints…_

"No…" Another in Russian.

'_Пожалуйста, войдите прилагаемых документов…'_

"THAT'S IT!"

_**The next morning…**_

"So, what experience do you have with international business?" Bra sat in her new room that she had modified to look like an office. In front of her desk sat a woman dressed in a suit, eying her nervously as Bra reviewed the woman's résumé.

"Well, I have by Bachelor's in Global Supply Chain Management and spent a year working with _FedEx _where I had experience coordinating global distribution for various clients as well as managing input-output logistics flow." The woman confidently listed her qualifications and experience to Bra, who didn't even bother to look at her as she reviewed her resume.

"Uh huh. That's fascinating. So, can you like…copy someone's signature _really_ well?"

"I'm sorry?" The woman furrowed her brow.

"How about note-taking during meetings?"

"I…guess, I-"

"Would you be opposed to occasionally dying your hair blue?"

"What?"

"How good are you at lying under pressure?" Bra continued to press, making the woman visibly uncomfortable.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What are your views on whistleblowing? Really."

"Um…is this the interview for the personal assistant position?" The woman swallowed.

"Yes. Now answer the questions, please." Bra smiled tightly.

"I…I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm the right fit for this position." The woman slowly rose from her seat and inched her way toward the door. "Could I have my, résumé back?"

Bra gave the woman a death glare upon her request, causing the woman to bolt and hurriedly exit the villa. That was the last one out of several interviewees, and they had all been monumental disappointments. Bra balled the woman's aforementioned résumé up and threw it into the trash can to join the other potential candidates that had failed to meet her demands. "This is insane." Bra pinched the bridge of her nose to soothe the headache that was beginning to develop.

Pan crept into the room from the hallway, knocking on the door post to get the other's attention. "Hey, everything okay?"

"No, Pan, it's not okay." Bra released a heavy sigh.

"What is it? Can't find anyone to fill the personal assistant position?"

"No. None of them want to do what I say. So they weren't worth my time." Bra whined.

Pan then made her way over to Bra's desk, picking up a piece of paper that listed the job duties for Bra's personal assistant position. Needless to say they were completely unreasonable and ridiculous. "Bra," Pan began with a frown, "have you actually read through this list?"

"Umm, I _wrote_ it."

"Well that explains a lot." Pan rolled her eyes. "Bra, I can understand you wanting to hire a personal assistant because you've really got your hands full here, but…come on. Mail fraud, document falsification, bribery…laundry and grooming duties? What the hell?"

"What's the big deal?" Bra yawned as she leaned back in her oversized office chair.

"The big deal is that no sensible, upstanding, person with an iota of dignity would be willing to do _anything_ on this list." Pan tossed the list down onto Bra's desk in disgust.

"Oh really?" Bra challenged the other girl.

"Yeah. Really."

"Well then I'll just find someone who lacks those qualities."

_**Moments later…**_

Bra sat at her desk on her laptop shopping for her next personal assistant. If the assistant needed to lack dignity and integrity then she knew exactly where to go to search for the perfect candidate; a rentboy website. Browsing through the online catalog of risqué profiles, Bra surveyed the site for the male assistant that she felt would be the perfect fit. "Hmm, let's see. No. No. Ew, no. Okay, I didn't need to see that…no."

She came across a profile that caught her eye, though it wasn't his good looks that made her stop. "_Hi, I'm Cody…_blah blah blah. _Willing to do whatever to please you…_blah blah blabbity blah._ Definitely your money's worth. _Wink." Bra rubbed her chin as if to be in deep thought. The boy was in college and trying to pay his own way through, which meant that he was desperate for money, just how she liked them. "Languages spoken, English, Spanish, French, German, Russian and Japanese. Oh my god, you're hired!" Bra exclaimed.

He was quite handsome. He was well-groomed with dark hair, thick eyebrows, grey eyes, ear piercings, a chiseled jawline, and cheekbones that most women would kill for. In other words, he was a total pretty boy. "_I'm straight but I have a very open mind and am willing to try new things_. Well, let's just see how many 'new things' you're willing to try, Cody." Bra said to herself with a devious smirk as she clicked the send email button.

Later on, in the rest of the villa the other girls were preparing to start their competition week as they scattered about the kitchen area. Working out more left them with increased appetites, and so Miriallia and Kagome had been nice enough to prepare a huge pancake breakfast with turkey sausage and fresh fruit. "Wow, I'm surprised I was actually able to get the perfect shape this time!" Kagome chirped. Most of her pancakes had been coming out lopsided and not exactly aesthetically superior. At least they tasted good enough.

"That's why I said to use the molder, it's easier that way." Miriallia insisted.

"Hey, I'm old fashioned. My mom always makes them directly in the pan and I'm determined to reach her level of expertise." Kagome smiled.

Faye leaned over on the counter, stuffing her face full of fluffy, buttermilk pancakes. "Well, they're delicious either way, Kagome. Thumbs up!"

"Thanks Faye!"

Just then, the doorbell rang, alerting most of the girls in the villa. "Is anyone expecting a visitor?" Aeka questioned warily as she stood on the steps in nothing but her hot pink sports bra and spandex shorts.

"Me! Me, that's for me!" Bra suddenly burst out of her room and headed for the door. Opening it, she immediately began to scold the individual that stood on the other side. "You're late! I'm not paying you triple to be late."

"Sorry." The girls heard a young guy's voice from the other side of the door causing them to tense up. Aeka didn't waste time to dart up the stairs to her room so as not to be seen in so very little clothing by their impromptu male company.

"Is that a guy?" Cagalli whispered to Winry.

"It sounded like it." Not seconds later did a tall, slender, dark-haired boy with model good looks walk through the door carrying a black bag, causing the room to go completely silent.

He had to have been about 6'4" judging by the fact that the top of Bra's head barely reached his chest. He wore a red button-up shirt, and tanned pants. They could tell that he clearly worked out from his chest muscles that peered through the first two open buttons of his shirt, accentuated by the modest silver chain that he wore around his neck. "Oh great. Another one." Faye rolled her eyes.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) We **_**just**_** got rid of Yuki when Lacus brought that lying bastard into our lives. Now here comes pretty boy number two. I wonder what **_**his**_** secret is. *IS NOT IMPRESSED***

"Ladies," Bra began as she tugged Cody behind her by his hand, "this is Cody. Cody, these people are irrelevant, as your service is solely to me, got it?"

"Got it." He replied simply.

"Bra, who is this?" Keiko questioned, eying the boy carefully.

"Are you deaf? I said his name is Cody."

"No, I mean, what is he doing here?" Keiko folded her arms, pretending not to notice when Cody looked her up and down and smiled.

"Ugh, do you have to know _everything_? Fine. Apparently, my CEO duties are starting a little earlier than expected, so he's going to be working as my personal assistant so that I can concentrate on both the competition and my job."

"Personal assistant?" Cody frowned. "The email you sent said something about being your personal slave?"

"Same thing." Bra huffed.

"I don't know, I kinda brought some stuff because…well I guess I misunderstood the email." Cody scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh, what did you bring?" Bra then grabbed Cody's bag and eagerly opened it, quickly shutting it back once she saw what was inside. "Okay, ladies, Cody has to uhh…go…later!" Bra nervously scampered away to her new room taking Cody with her.

"Wait, Bra," Keiko called, "he's not going to be staying here is he?"

"Of course! I'll need him to be at my disposal whenever work-related duties come up. You want me at my best for the competition, right?" Bra then slammed the door behind herself and Cody, leaving the rest of the girls dumbfounded as to what just happened.

"What? He can't stay here!" Sango griped. She then turned to Faye and Keiko. "He can't stay here."

**Sango: Inuyasha (Guys) I don't feel comfortable sleeping in the same villa as some strange guy that Bra brought in from who knows where. Besides, I get vibes from him. Very familiar and infuriating vibes. **

"I guess the decision on whether or not he stays, is ultimately up to the Inner Circle leader. So Keiko…" Faye regarded the brown-haired girl who was currently their designated leader.

Keiko nibbled on her lower lip anxiously. The idea of Bra being occupied with her new job duties while amusing, did put a damper on their plans to strengthen their team. And she'd be lying if she said that the team didn't rely on Bra's skills and strength when it came to challenges. "I guess…it couldn't hurt to have him around as long he remains in Bra's room. I have a feeling that she'll make sure that he rarely gets out anyway."

"True." Faye nodded.

"I don't think it'll be a problem. And come on, Bra is busy. Let's count our blessings, here."

"Yes!" Hilde and Ryoko cheered causing the others to look at them strangely. "We just," Ryoko began, "really agree with you."

**Ryoko: Tenchi Muyo (Gals) Mission accomplished. *WINK***

The house's _Nokia_ cellphone then rang alerting the team of their next challenge. Winry walked over to the kitchen counter where the phone was charging and read off the text message. "_Time to channel your inner Schwarzenegger and gear up for some fun in the woods. At 11am, GET TO THE CHOPPA! _Hmm." Winry cocked her head at the last line.

"Ooh, where have I heard that line before?" Faye mused.

_**18**__**th**__** Challenge: Predator**_

The challengers approached Jonny and Brad who stood in the middle of a forested area quite far from their villas. It was clear they were no longer in Daytona Beach and had ventured to a more rural area of southeastern Florida. "Ladies, gentlemen, good morning!" Jonny greeted.

"What is this place?" Sango questioned as she and the rest of the team finally made it to their host.

"Sango, this is a forest. Welcome." Jonny explained cryptically.

"I know that, but, why are we using a forest today?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, Sango." Jonny perked. "Allow me to explain. Ladies, fellas, at the beginning of this competition you were all given numbers. Since eliminations, those numbers have changed. However, we will be using those numbers specifically for this competition." Jonny then pointed to a board that stood behind Brad with all of their names listed on it along with their numbers. The numbers ranged from 1-15. "I'm gonna just cut to the chase today, guys. Today's challenge will require you to use your tactical skills and employ them wisely, because today, you get hunted."

"By who?" Android 18 questioned.

"Each other of course."

"Awesome." The android sighed.

"Yes, indeed." Jonny nodded. "Welcome to your 18th challenge…Predator!" Their host announced. "For this challenge, players will each be given a hunting kit and within the kit will be the number of a member from the opposite team. Whichever number you get, that is the player that you must capture and bring back to your POW camp. The location of the camps are on the maps included in your hunting kits. The team with the most captures by the time the clock hits zero, wins. You will all be required to wear your protective gear as the gear has your number on the back." Jonny continued. He then pulled up an example of the gear which included a black, tactical coverall with equipment belt, and combat boots.

He turned the suit around to reveal the number on its back. "Alright guys, here are the rules. Now I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. If you incapacitate the wrong number you DQ. The only one responsible for incapacitating and capturing your target is you. Your teammates can help you by letting you know if they've sighted your target, via radio communication that is included in your hunting kits. Use that wisely. If you give away the location of your teammate's target over the radio, you could inadvertently be leading your own predator to your location if they are to somehow hear the transmission. Each team will have their own designated radio channel. The channel info is also included in your hunting kits."

"So the boys will be on one channel on the radios and the girls on another?" Android 17 confirmed.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Right. So here's how it works. Everyone is a prey and everyone is also a predator. However, as prey you are not aware of who your predator is, and thus you must always be on alert around every opposing team member because you won't know who's hunting you. So proceed with caution."

"PREDATOR!" Faye suddenly shouted.

"Yes Faye?"

"Sorry, I just remembered where I heard that line that you guys used in the text message from. Go on." She smiled.

"Haha, okay." Jonny laughed. "This is a timed challenge and lasts for one hour. If you don't capture your prey by the time the clock winds down, you receive no points for your team or yourself. Once you capture your prey, you are excluded from the challenge from that point on with whatever points you've accumulated. If your prey capture's their target before you capture them and your predator has also been captured, you get demoted to "free prey" which is actually worse than just "prey" for various reasons. I'll explain that shortly."

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) So it was a hunt and capture mission. Of course, you realize the girls stood no chance if that was the case. *BORED***

"If your prey captures their target before you capture them and your predator has NOT been captured, the points value of _your _capture for _your_ predator doubles and you are designated as "big game." So you are worth double points to your predator. Your predator will be alerted over the loud speakers that we've installed in this complex when your worth has doubled. You will also be alerted when your predator is captured." Jonny looked around the players to confirm that everyone was following along.

"Everyone starts out with 1000 points for their team and 500 points for themselves. Every ten minutes, anyone who has not successfully captured their prey loses 100 points for their team score and their personal score. The team with the most captured prey by the end of the challenge gets a bonus of 1000 extra points." Jonny continued. "If your status is reduced to big game or free prey, your sole mission is to elude your predators and make it to your safe house successfully. If you make it to your safe house without being captured you gain whatever points you qualified to earn once your prey captured their target"

"Also, if and when you are demoted to free prey, an alert goes off for the opposing team that extra prey points are now available. This means that the entire opposing team could be hunting you down for capture while you attempt to make it to your safe house. Players have the option to go after the extra 100 points, or continue hunting their original target. Players can capture more than one free prey for extra points. If you are designated as free prey, you can ask for a capture immunity lifeline from your fellow team members who can offer it. Not all of your teammates will have these lifelines. If you find a teammate with a lifeline, wear it over your neck. It's an LED light on a timer set for 60 seconds. So you have 60 seconds of immunity from capture and to find your safe house. Once the light goes out, and you're not in your safe house, you can once again be captured. You are only allotted one lifeline during this time. Are there any questions?"

"Nope, I think we pretty much got it." Yusuke answered.

"Good. Brad will read you off the prizes and then we'll disperse you guys to your camps to get you geared up." Jonny concluded.

"Today's winner will receive the Chibi Wolf Hero, and this prize," Brad unveiled a picture of what looked like a very elaborate RV, "a 2014 Fleetwood Providence Class A RV including, but not limited to, dishwasher, satellite radio, and front overhead LCD TV, with a bonus of camping gear."

"Wow! I'm not a camper but…wow!" Kagome's eyes lit up.

"Alright, guys, you can go with Brad, ladies you can go with Nicole. They'll both lead you to your camps and get you squared away.

_**Boys' Camp…**_

The boys gathered into the camp which looked like a small cabin with a "cage" in the back area for their prisoners. They could tell that the challenge would be quite interesting.

Many of the boys weren't thrilled about having to don the required gear but they supposed it was a small price to pay to bring them closer to the win. Sesshomaru glared sourly at his tactical coveralls as he slipped them on over his usual robes. Reaching into his hunting kit to retrieve his radio and learn the number of his prey, the sour expression soon turned to delight as he viewed the slip of paper that held his prey's information. "Number 4…Bra." Having not forgotten about how the girl had humiliated him during her party, he had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to enact his revenge. It appeared that said revenge was going to come sooner than he had expected.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) I had every intention of making Bra's capture as painful and humiliating as possible. Consider it her comeuppance for what she did to me during her birthday celebration.**

"So who do ya got?" Yusuke questioned Sesshomaru who simply handed him the paper. "Oh shBLEEP! Guys, you'll never believe who Sesshomaru's gotta hunt down!" Yusuke laughed.

"Who?" Inuyasha was half-interested.

"Bra."

"Are you serious?" Inuyasha chuckled.

"Dead serious." Yusuke shook his head in amusement.

"Well then," Miroku chimed, "I don't believe justice can get more poetic than that. Good luck, Sesshomaru."

"I don't need it." Sesshomaru replied flatly.

"Of course you don't." Miroku smiled.

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) Come on folks. If we're perfectly honest, we know that Bra completely deserves every bit of Sesshomaru's wrath. I just wish that I could watch the entire thing play out. Unfortunately, I'll be too busy hunting down Kagome, which should serve to be entertaining in its own right.**

"So Yusuke, who are you going after?" Miroku prodded.

"Botan." Yusuke had to stifle a laugh.

"It doesn't look like any of us will have to work too hard." Miroku surmised. "Who among us feels that they will be able to accomplish capture of their prey with no trouble?" Miroku wasn't surprised when 13 out of 15 of his teammates raised their hands. Neither Spike or Koga raised their hands, however. "Spike, Koga, who are you to go after?"

"Android 18." Spike groaned.

"Pan." Koga sighed.

"Hmm, I suppose that will prove to be quite difficult." Miroku agreed. "You needn't worry, we'll assist you if you ask."

"Nah, I should be okay." Koga waived.

"Spike?" Miroku questioned.

"I'll try." Spike shrugged.

"Let's just get this over with!" Inuyasha grumbled. "Sorry, Athrun, but I won't be showing your little girlfriend any mercy. We've got a competition to win, here."

"Fine by me." Athrun laughed. "Just as long as you don't get sensitive about me going a little rough on Sango, we should be good."

"Trust me, Sango can handle herself with you. So watch yourself." Inuyasha warned.

"_Team blue, are you ready? Team pink has already started making their way to the field." _Jonny's voice sounded over the loud speaker in their cabin.

"Yep, we're ready!" Yusuke answered.

"_Alright, then if you're geared and set, head on out."_

"Got it! Alright men, let's move out!"

_**In the field…**_

The girls had already spread out and taken their positions in the field, each one posted at different corners of the layout equipped with their gear and capture tools which ranged from chains, ropes, and net traps.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) We were ready for them. I think we were able to use the fact that our targets didn't know which one of us was after them to our advantage. Don't underestimate the power of the element of surprise. My target was a master of alchemy, so I definitely had to be sure that I was dotting every 'i' and crossing every 't' when it came to capturing Ed.**

Keiko concealed herself carefully in a bush near a tree which she had modified to act as a rack for the net that she had buried under a blanket of leaves, twigs and sticks. She looked at her watch and noted that ten minutes had already passed which meant that she had just lost 100 points for her team and personal scores. It was okay though, she wasn't about to let that stop her from completing her mission. _"Faye to Keiko, do you copy?" _Faye's voice could be heard over the radio causing Keiko to turn the volume down slightly. "Go for Keiko." Keiko whispered.

"_I just saw your target headed for your location. He'll be coming behind you, so keep an eye out."_

"Copy that." Keiko whispered her acknowledgment as she buried herself further into the bushes, maintaining a tight grip on the rope that connected to the net. She heard him then, creeping up behind her, the sound of the leaves crumpling beneath his feet growing closer and closer. She was as still as a statue as she waited for him to get right where she wanted him. Unfortunately, he was beginning to walk right past the trap.

"_Heero to Ed."_

"Go." Ed answered his radio.

"_Your target just passed the northeast checkpoint."_

"Copy." Ed eagerly turned on his heels then to head in the opposite direction to go after Miriallia, unfortunately stepping right into Keiko's trap as the girl pulled on the rope with all of her might, capturing the small alchemist within its roped confines.

"Gotcha!" Keiko exclaimed smiling to herself as Ed dangled within her net trap from the tree.

"Damn it!" Ed growled. He then used his alchemy skills to transmute his arm into a sword and began cutting the net.

"No, you don't!" Keiko shouted as she cut down the net, to fall down to the ground. She then unveiled a device that she had hidden with her in the bush, turning the device to maximum strength.

"Is that?" Ed's eyes widened as he felt his body being pulled toward the device.

"Thank your girlfriend for this handy contraption." Keiko smirked as Ed was slammed onto the large magnet by his metal limbs unable to move.

"Winry built this?" Ed squealed.

"Oh and that reminds me." Keiko retrieved her radio. "Keiko to Winry."

"_Go for Winry."_

"Your target is near the northeastern checkpoint. Go get him, girl!" Keiko informed.

"_Copy. Thanks!"_

Ed hurriedly tried to retrieve his radio upon hearing the exchange so as to warn his teammate. "Heero! Heero get outta there! Winry's your predator, she's knows your location and she's coming for you!"

"_Winry's my predator? But Winry's my prey." _Heero responded through the radio.

"Oh wow." Keiko's eyes widened. "So they're hunting each other?"

"I guess."

"Well, let's go! Time to go to our POW camp." Keiko perked as she dragged Ed in the net to her team's camp.

"Unbelievable." Ed groaned. He couldn't believe that he had been captured, and by Keiko no less. Thanks to Winry, he was unable to move due to her building an electric makeshift magnet. Clearly it was done on purpose as no one else would think to use his automail against him except her.

_**Winry's hunt…**_

As Winry carefully approached the northeastern checkpoint, she began to survey the area for any sign of Heero. She tried to step lightly so as not to alert her prey to her presence. She knew that she would have to execute her plan with caution. After all, Heero was a soldier and a damn good one from what she had heard. So she was certain that he had expert skill when it came to evading the enemy. She could only imagine his skill when it came to hunting down the enemy and internally praised her lucky stars that he wasn't hunting her. Yes, indeed, she was grateful that it was in fact the other way around.

Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her, causing her to turn on her heels to identify the source of the sound. It was slightly creepy. The sky was grey with a heavy overcast and she could tell that it was about to rain at any moment. She was surprised that the producers just didn't cancel the challenge altogether being that the forecast for the day said heavy rains with only a high of 82. Being satisfied that no one was behind her, she turned back around only to come face to face with…

"H-Heero?" Winry started. She couldn't believe that he was so bold as to reveal himself to her. Didn't he know that he was being hunted, by her? "What are you doing? Don't you think you should be more cautious? You do have a predator out there, looking for you, you know." Winry arched an eyebrow, laughing internally at the thought of catching Heero off guard and then pulling a fast one to make her capture.

"I know. I don't feel a need to be cautious around my prey." Heero stated pointedly.

"Your prey?" Winry was beginning to understand and immediately grew nervous. "B-but, that's impossible. I'm hunting _you_." Winry rationalized as she slowly began to back up noting as Heero began to follow her movements by stalking forward.

"It's quite possible, actually. The numbers were chosen at random, evenly split. We were bound to have at least a few players hunting each other." Heero explained flatly as he continued to stalk towards Winry.

"Yes, I guess math is funny that way." Winry added with a nervous laugh. There was a beat of awkward silence before Winry decided to go with the best plan of action, and took off like a bat out of hell in the opposite direction.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) Hey, you try having someone with a moniker like 'The Perfect Soldier' hunting you down. I'd like to see you stick around for that.**

"I thought you wanted to capture me!" Heero called out sarcastically. He then retrieved a small device from his pocket and flipped it open to view the display. He smiled at the moving blip on the screen as he proceeded toward another direction.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) It's a tracking device. It attached to the back of Winry's shoe once she set foot past the checkpoint. So it didn't take me long to get her captured and locked away.**

_**Barely five minutes later…**_

Heero tossed Winry into his team's POW cage, her hands and feet bound with hand and ankle cuffs. Winry looked around and noticed that inside the cage were, Faye, Lacus, Kagome, Botan and Aeka. All of them were chained in the same way as her, and each of them seemed quite pissed because of it. "Faye? How did you get in here? I thought for sure that you'd get away."

"Yeah, no. My predator was Android 17." Faye grumbled.

"Oh." Winry sighed.

"Hey, Heero, is it really necessary to keep us chained like this? I mean, you got us, it's not like we're going anywhere." Faye griped.

"Yes." Heero answered simply as he locked the cage and retreated to his team's cabin.

"What bullBLEEP! You guys are just being assBLEEPS!" Faye shouted as she flipped Heero off, the chains on her hands and feet clinking with the abrupt movement.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Botan sighed, trying desperately to find a comfortable position on the hay covered ground.

"You didn't hear the announcement?" Winry asked.

"No, we can't hear anything back here. Why?" Botan raised.

"Well, I know personally that Keiko was successful in capturing Ed. And Pan was able to capture Kira with no problems but unfortunately, Hilde got demoted to free prey. Last I heard she was still on the run from the entire boys' team." Winry shook her head.

"Oh shBLEEP." Faye gasped.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) And here I am chained unable to do anything to help her out. It was so frustrating being treated like a caged animal, though I'm sure the boys were enjoying every second of it because well…they're sick in that way.**

_**Hilde's escape…**_

(Insert "One Thousand Years of a Tarantula" by Degue Fever here…run Hilde run!)

Hilde was out of breath as she darted behind trees, rolled down hills and leapt over creeks in an attempt to evade the entire boys' team who seemed quite eager just to earn an extra 100 points. Having been demoted to free prey once her predator was captured by Pan and her prey –Kurama- had already captured his own prey Aeka, she found herself on the run from about five of the remaining boys in the field save for Sesshomaru who was currently out for Bra's blood.

She had reached another creek, though this one wasn't a creek at all but a swamp filled with all of the delights of any swamp. "Ugh, I've had it with the alligators in this state. I swear to God." Hilde growled. She caught sight of a log lying over the swamp just enough for her to leap from the edge and onto the other side. She had to thank her lucky stars that most of the boys that were after her lacked flight ability, otherwise she would've been in real trouble.

She placed a foot carefully on the log, being cautious not to lose her footing and fall into the below swamp. The moist climate of the area began to pick up and that's when it happened. She was nearly halfway onto the log when all of a sudden a heavy downpour of rain soon took over the area. "Damn it!" The rain beat upon the log with an intense ferocity, making the surface slippery and hard to navigate. She then went into a kneeling position, attempting to crawl herself the rest of the way. "Come on, come on…" She coached herself as she nearly made it to a close enough distance to jump the rest of the way. "Almost…"

Just then, Koga came up behind her noticing that she was literally smack dab in the middle of the swamp on the log. "Well, well, look what we have here." Koga chuckled. "Koga to team blue, I've spotted the free prey. She is currently hovering helplessly over swamp alley."

"_Copy."_

"_Copy."_

"_Copy, that."_

"_Athrun Zala, copy."_

"ShBLEEP." Hilde cursed as she found that not moments later on the other side of the swamp crept a creature watching her from the other side. "Is that a…no…"

"Oh wow, look at that!" Koga gleamed. "Here, kitty, kitty!"

"SHUT UP, dumbass!" Hilde panicked as she looked a Florida panther directly in the eyes. "Oh God this can't be happening." Hilde was freaking out as she saw the cougar walking along the edge of the bank.

"Well, looks like you can't go over there, unless you wanna be cat food." Koga joked. "Don't worry, Hilde, just come on over to me. I'll make sure to keep you safe."

"Bite me!"

"I'm sure he can take care of that for ya!" Koga mocked.

Hilde knew that she had to think of a plan. She had Koga on one side of the swamp and a cougar on the other. She was literally trapped. Then, that's when she remembered. Koga was also free prey, but was just trying to gain a few extra points. Pulling out her radio, she then did the only thing she knew to do to get Koga away from the area. "Hilde to team pink. I've spotted Koga at swamp alley. Come and get it ladies!" She turned to offer Koga a devious smirk.

"_Copy"_

"_Copy"_

"_Copy that."_

"Well played." Koga stated flatly before retreating from the area.

Hilde took this time to retrieve her net bomb from her holster. Pulling the device out, she threw it at the cougar, capturing the wild cat in its net trap giving her just enough time to leap from the log and onto the other side.

"Hey!" A voice from behind her suddenly sounded. Before she had time to react, she found herself tackled and face down onto the muddied ground with her hands positioned above her head. She squirmed as a figure placed a collar like device around her neck attaching the extending chain to the cuffs that now bound her hands.

"What the…Spike?" Hilde struggled underneath Spike's weight as he turned her over onto her back, her face and clothes now marred with dirt and mud.

A sly smirk crept onto Spike's lips as he leaned over Hilde's waist to keep her still. "Thanks for that. I was hesitant to move because of the cougar. Let's go little lady." Spike grabbed the chain attached to Hilde's collar device, leading her away toward his team's POW camp.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) I completely deserve every bit of karma's wrath because that's clearly what this is. I could only hope that Bra, too, was also paying the piper.**

_**Bra's escape from Sesshomaru…**_

Bra had been lying low as she found that taking flight would only make her easier to track. She knew that he was nearby, she could sense his energy. She rarely had to employ her skills of sensing energy and if she were honest, she wasn't very good at it due to lack of training. And so, Sesshomaru would always be closer to her than she thought whenever she would pick up on his energy.

A rain soaked Bra slipped into a cave, trying to keep her energy low so as not to set off any energy alarms of her own. Her eyes darted around the cave as she got the feeling that she wasn't exactly alone within its cool confines. Retrieving her flashlight from her holster she looked above to notice that the cave was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of sleeping bats. "You're _kidding_ me." She whispered to herself in frustration.

"Quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into." Came Sesshomaru's voice from outside of the cave.

Bra snapped her neck to face him, her eyes widened with anticipation of his next move. "If you think I'm scared of a few bats, you're even dumber than I thought." She bluffed.

"Is that so?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as he gazed at his prey who was clearly cornered.

"It's absolutely so, padre. Now, I'm sure you're still holding a grudge about the thing that happened on my birthday because your personality is obviously as girly as your looks, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase here." Bra began as she placed her hands on her hips, putting on her best face of not being at all terrified. "Get over it."

"Come again?" Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow.

"Clean the BLEEP out of your ears and pay attention. I said get over it." Bra folded her arms defiantly.

"It would appear that you have yet to learn the concept of respect. Perhaps someone should teach you." The whites of Sesshomaru's eyes then turned crimson, his fangs extending as his face contorted to take on the shape of a dog.

"Huh?" Bra was immediately frozen as she watched the powerful demon lord transform into his larger, more intimidating, canine self. She suddenly began to laugh nervously as she watched him grow to his full size. "Wow. You're _really_ upset, aren't you?"

Sesshomaru then took his paw and brought it down hard into Bra's direction who dodged the attack by taking flight. "To hell with this!" Bra exclaimed as she flew through the forest, Sesshomaru close on her heels. Pulling out her radio, she decided to ask her teammates for a bit of assistance. Being that her prey, Hiei, had already captured his prey, she now only had the option of finding their safe house, or risk granting Sesshomaru with double points as well as getting the best of Bra Briefs, which was out of the question. "Bra to team pink. Where the HELL is that safe house?" She questioned frantically over the radio as she sped through the forest knocking tree branches out of her way as she proceeded further. "Bra to team pink, do you have a copy?"

"_Southwest checkpoint, Bra." _Cagalli answered over the radio.

"Copy…ah!" Suddenly Sesshomaru appeared in front of her, using his paw to knock her into a row of nearby trees. Her body flew back-first through the thick trunks of about 8 and a half cypress trees before her limp body fell to the ground. Her back sore and bruised from the assault, Bra attempted to stand to her feet until a sharp pain in her spine kept her from doing so. "Ah God, my back!"

Sesshomaru, now in his less threatening form, slowly approached the fallen Saiyan princess who was covered in mud, bark and various other components of the not so great portions of the outdoors. The rain was thick and ruthless as it continued to beat down upon their forms. She looked to be nothing more than a wounded rodent as she struggled to stand, eying him as if to beg him for mercy.

"Get…away from me!" Bra managed to demand through gritted teeth, trying her best to ignore the pain that being smacked through a row of trees placed upon her small form.

Sesshomaru then kneeled down before her, grabbing her roughly by her hair to lift her to a sitting position. Bra winced from the move, squinting from the feeling of the vice grip that Sesshomaru had on her hair. His amber eyes bored into her sapphire ones as if to try and read the message that lied behind them. "Hmm. Pathetic." He then reached into his backpack and retrieved the chains that rested within them. Flipping Bra onto her belly, he placed his knee into the small of her back, exacerbating the pain that already existed from her fall.

"Ow, you psycho, that hurts! What are you, some kind of sadist?"

"If by sadist you mean do I enjoy watching you suffer then the answer is yes." Sesshomaru answered simply as he bound her hands behind her back with the thick chains, connecting the excess to the collar device that he place around her neck.

"Ugh, you sick bastard! Easy!" Bra squirmed as he roughly chained her body.

To ensure that she couldn't run away, he also bound her legs with the ankle chains. She was completely chained like cattle as he threw her over his shoulder, carrying her away to the cage.

**Bra: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) I think he was liking that a little **_**too**_** much if you get what I'm driving at. o_O**

The game had gone on that way for the remainder of the challenge. While it was a close match, it wasn't close enough. The girls had managed six successful captures with Miriallia managing to subdue Athrun by throwing a snake at him, Cagalli capturing Inuyasha by knocking him out after making him sniff a box of magic markers, and Android 18 going toe-to-toe with Trunks and gaining the upper hand. Sango was the only free prey to make it to the safe house without really being hunted by the boys, though she chalked that up to them being cowards as she decided to employ her Hiraikotsu during the challenge. Even still, the girls didn't manage to keep up with the boys who managed ten successful captures. With Android 17 earning the title of challenge winner for finishing in the quickest time.

"Alright guys, that was intense. You did well!" Jonny brightened. The rain had since stopped and the sun was beginning to make an appearance from behind the clouds.

The former prisoners were glad to finally have the chains off as they stood before Jonny waiting for the announcement of the challenge winner and quickly progress to the elimination round. "You all did very well, however, as you know there can only be one victor, and that without a doubt goes to the boys. Winner of this challenge and a 2014 Fleetwood Providence RV…Android 17, for finishing in the fastest time."

"Oh right, sure rub it in." Faye groaned.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you were an easy catch." The android winked at the obvious innuendo, causing Faye to growl lowly under her breath.

"Ooh, that was a good one!" Yusuke slapped five with his android teammate.

"Boys final score is 130,349 with the girls ending with a final score of 90,458." Jonny announced earning a wave of cheers and 'OO-RAHS' from the guys.

"Once again," Spike began, "we've put the ladies in their place."

"Actually," Trunks interjected, "if we did that, they'd all be in the kitchen right now. So we've clearly got a lot of work to do."

"Truth." The boys agreed, laughing at how disgruntled the girls became at their sexist comments.

"An 'in the kitchen' joke?" Pan rolled her eyes. "Really? Lack originality much?"

"Say what you will, Pan. But 'in the kitchen jokes' will never _not _be funny." Trunks laughed.

"Oh but _I'm _the one that deserves to be punished with 'family responsibility.' Whatever, Mom." Bra sucked her teeth in disgust.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Jonny interrupted, "it's time for eliminations, so Inner Circles, get together and do your thing."

_**Eliminations…**_

Once again, the boys deviated from their normal M.O. and instead eliminated Athrun when Koga was clearly the one with the lowest score. It was getting to the point where the girls were just brushing them off as insane and ignoring it. The girls decided to stick with getting rid of the player with the lowest score, and so Aeka was sent home.

"Sorry to see you go, princess." Ryoko said her goodbyes to her roommate and friend.

"Oh don't be silly Ryoko. I'm certain that you couldn't wait to have our room all to yourself." Aeka teased.

"This is true."

"Don't worry, I'll send my love to Tenchi for you." Aeka winked as she shut the door to the transportation van that carried her and Athrun away to the airport.

"Wait…what?" Ryoko growled, balling her fists up at her sides in anger. "She had better keep her paws off of my Tenchi while I'm here busting my ass in this competition."

"Good game, guys! Awesome way to open up the week, and trust me, we've got a lot planned for you guys. Go home and get some rest…and a shower." Jonny said the last line sourly noting how dirty they all were.

_**Lame Celebrations in White Shore…**_

"Wow, Yusuke," Duo started, "this would be a great opportunity to celebrate with a beer or two but oh wait," Duo walked over to the fridge and opened it up to reveal only milk, bananas and _Muscle Milk_, "we don't have any."

"What are you talking about?" Hiei began. "I just went grocery shopping yesterday. I even had to use my Jagan to influence the girl at the register to let us through because we didn't have enough money. What happened to everything that I bought?"

Duo could only shake his head in shame. "It's all gone, man."

"That quickly?" Hiei couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Don't ask me to go to that insufferable place for you people ever again. You eat it. You buy it." Hiei leaned against a wall and folded his arms, upset that he made an unnecessary trip to one of the worst places that he had ever had the displeasure of setting foot in.

"Yeah, seriously Yusuke," Kira griped, "Old Mother Hubbard feels bad for us."

"Alright, then." Yusuke stood to his feet and made his way over to the cupboard, pulling out a container of cinnamon. "To keep up your competitive spirits, how about we make a game out of it?"

"No." Sesshomaru, Hiei and Kurama all chorused as the three individuals retired themselves to their rooms.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I have no interest in any games that Yusuke concocts. I **_**barely**_** have interest in the games that MTV concocts.**

***AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT***

Yusuke placed the cinnamon onto the counter and pulled out a package of plastic spoons.

"Ohh, I know where this is going." Duo groaned.

"If at least seven of you whiners can down a spoonful of this stuff, I promise that I'll put real food back in the kitchen." Yusuke proposed.

"Deal!" Trunks stood to his feet ready to accept Yusuke's challenge.

"Here. No water allowed." Yusuke passed the cinnamon and a spoon.

"Yeah, yeah, I know how this works." Trunks grabbed the items, popping the top off of the cinnamon and taking a large spoonful into his mouth. He choked it all down like a pro, barely flinching. "Alright, that's one. Who's next?"

"Whoa." Yusuke's eyes widened. "Boss."

"Is it really that simple?" Inuyasha approached the counter, then.

"Yep." Trunks guaranteed.

"Gimme that!" Inuyasha grabbed the cinnamon and spoon, taking a generous amount of the spice onto his spoon and then shoving it into his mouth. Immediately his sensitive sense of smell and taste went into overdrive as he coughed out a huge, brown, cloud, nearly struggling to breathe. "LIAR!" Inuyasha coughed out as he eyed Trunks.

"Oh shBLEEP. Get him some water!" Trunks demanded.

Taking the glass of tap water that was handed to him, Inuyasha guzzled down the cool liquid in a desperate attempt to kill the overwhelming affect that the cinnamon had on his senses.

"You alright?" Kira questioned. There was a moment of silence before Inuyasha stared at his empty glass and finally lost consciousness.

"So," Trunks began awkwardly, "does that count as two or one?"

_**Evening in Starfish…**_

Hilde and Ryoko knocked on Bra's room door, being slightly thrown off once her new 'personal assistant' opened the door appearing quite exhausted and overworked –though nowhere near being underpaid.

"Yeah?" He answered carefully.

"Can we talk to Bra?" Hilde queried.

"She's…got a lot of papers to sign."

"It'll be just a minute, we promise." Ryoko reassured.

"She told me not to let anyone in…" Cody was hesitant.

"I'm sure she wants to see us." Hilde then pushed past the tall, young man as she and Ryoko entered into Bra's new quarters.

The blue-haired girl sat at her desk in her robe signing a pile of papers that didn't seem to be getting any shorter. Her hair was still wet and crinkly from not having the time to style it. She hadn't even put on any make-up. It was like they were looking at a mere shell of Bra Briefs. "Bra?" Hilde hesitated, not sure if it was really her.

"What." Bra half-answered, not bothering to look up from her work.

"Ryoko and I just wanted to know how you wanted us to proceed with the next phase of the plan."

Bra kept her attention glued upon her desk, gesturing toward Cody to hand her another pen. "No, no, I told you ballpoint not felt, these are carbon copy. Felt won't go through." She scolded. "What are you saying, Hil?" She questioned absently as she continued to focus on her work.

"We were just wondering how you wanted us to proceed with the Inner Circle plan."

"Look just…do whatever. I don't have time to think about that right now." Bra then regarded her assistant. "Here, put these over there for me, outgoing box. I want you to scan those to these emails." She pointed to a sticky note on the documents. "The emails are all on the sticky notes. The addresses are already in the printer address book, just scroll through and send them out. I also need you to make sure…"

Hilde and Ryoko spared one another a look of satisfaction as they exited Bra's bedroom/office and shut the door.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) What can we say? Mother knows best.**

The rest of the girls sat in the common area of their villas frustrated with the fact that since the start of the competition they had had to listen to the boys constantly disrespect them and be a-holes, basically.

"It's ridiculous, is what it is." Cagalli shook her head. "I don't understand why they can't just enjoy their wins and be mature about it. The pseudo-macho attitude is getting really old."

"I'll say." Kagome agreed.

"Believe me, ladies. They're compensating for…something." Android 18 added earning a wave of giggles from her teammates.

"It's just unfair." Winry sighed as she sprawled herself on the floor, propping her hands behind her head. "Is there just one place that we can go where guys treat us like the goddesses that we are, keep their mouths shut, and just sort of stand there and look pretty? The boys aren't the only ones with those fantasies, you know."

Winry's question raised an idea amongst a couple of their teammates, Android 18 and Faye giving one another a knowing look at the thought.

_**Later That Night at Club Pharaoh (Where Every Lady is a Queen)…**_

The girls –save for Sango, Lacus, Pan, Miriallia and Bra- all strut their way into a nearby male strip club as suggested by Bra's assistant Cody who decided to escort them to the club after Bra had kicked him out of her room to 'collect herself.'

The music blared throughout the darkened room causing the floor and walls to vibrate as they paid their cover charges and made their way into the main room. Keiko was a little uncomfortable by all of the screaming and half-naked beefcakes gyrating on the stage, but she decided to humor the rest of her teammates. Besides, she could use the time out.

"Now _this_ is what I'm talking about!" Faye shouted excitedly over the music as she viewed the current dancer on the stage doing his best simulation of acts that in all honesty should be reserved for the bedroom.

"Oh yeah!" Hilde exclaimed as she cheered the dancer on, reaching in her purse for the singles that she had every intention of carelessly throwing away that night.

"Oh my, it's really…" Botan tensed up as they took their seats near the stage, "…loud in here, isn't it?" She regarded Keiko, whom she could tell was also extremely nervous.

"Yes, it really is, and the screaming doesn't help." Keiko frowned as she instinctively brought her hands to cover her ears.

"Oh you guys really need to loosen up!" Faye interjected as the waiter brought her her Sex on the Beach. "Come on, Keiko, you've been moping around the villa long enough. It's time to have some fun, already!"

"I'm just not really used to all of this." Keiko shouted over the music.

Cody noticed that the brown-haired girl was definitely out of her element, but he didn't want her to feel overwhelmed. "Hey, you want me to buy you a drink?"

"I'm sorry?" Keiko leaned in, cupping her ear so as to hear him better.

He then leaned closer so that he was directly near her ear, "I said did you want me to buy you a drink. It'll help loosen you up." He leaned back and stared her in the eyes, his low lidded, intense, gaze almost seeming to pierce through her.

"S-sure. Okay." Keiko nodded, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

"Cool. I'll be right back!" He smiled as he headed for the bar.

_**30 minutes later…**_

"Oh my," a slightly tipsy Botan had her eyes fixed upon the current performer as he executed impressive maneuvers with his hips, "he is quite the Adonis." She hiccupped.

"Hey, Keiko," Faye leaned over to her teammate, alcohol having clearly taken over at this point, "I got a little treat for ya!"

"Treat?" Keiko frowned. She had had a couple of drinks as well, and not being used to consuming alcohol was quickly succumbing to its effects.

"Ohhh yeah…" Faye grinned.

"What kind of treat? I didn't ask for any _treats_."

"You'll see." Suddenly the room went dark and a spotlight was brought onto Keiko's seat.

"Wha…" She slurred.

"Alright ladies, we got a bit of a special treat for a birthday girl in the house. Happy birthday Keiko!" The DJ announced, causing Keiko to be quite confused.

"B-birthday?" She could feel herself starting to sober up at the announcement of her non-existent birthday and the impromptu spotlight.

"Alright, Keiko, why don't you sit back and relax and let one of our finest treat you to something special. Ladies I want you to give it up for Sly!"

Just then the seductive beats of "Trading Places" by Usher filled the club as a tall, dark-haired muscular, and tanned figure made his way from backstage, heading straight for Keiko. He was like a Latin god and Keiko immediately froze upon seeing that his bedroom eyes were locked directly on her form.

"Oh…my…God…" Keiko breathed.

"You're welcome, hon!" Faye shouted as she cheered the dancer on who was currently kneeling in front of Keiko and spreading her legs apart.

"Holy BLEEP." Cagalli exclaimed as she, Winry and Ryoko observed the performance from behind Keiko with mouths agape. They watched as the dancer turned his back to Keiko and proceeded to grind himself between her legs, grabbing her hands and placing them upon his bare chest and ripped abdomen.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) You ever have those moments where you're just so nervous that you completely freeze up? Well…I did the exact opposite. -_-**

The dancer then turned to face Keiko, still maintaining his position between her legs moving with seductive precision to the beat of the music. She wasn't certain if it was the alcohol or the fact that she was getting a very public lap dance by a guy that looked like he stepped out of _GQ_ magazine, but it was suddenly becoming quite hot…too hot. She was finding it difficult to breathe, and before she knew it, she was seeing two dancers. "Do we…have to pay for both...?"

"Huh?" The dancer was confused but had to quickly react as Keiko passed out right in his arms.

"Whoops! Party's over ladies!" Faye declared. "Time to go. Cody, pick her up would ya?"

"Cody?" The dancer then regarded Bra's assistant. "Hey man, what are you doing in Florida?"

"Umm," Hilde frowned, "you two, know each other?"

Cody seemed to be giving the male dancer a look, that Hilde was not drunk enough to miss. "Uhh, nah, not really. We uhh…we worked out at the same gym in California." The dancer explained awkwardly before placing Keiko's unconscious body into Cody's arms.

"Oh." Hilde answered. She studied Cody's behavior and noted that he seemed to want to hurry up and leave the club.

"Come on, let's get Keiko outta here." He exclaimed as he and the rest of the girls headed for the transportation vans.

"Hmm." Hilde narrowed her eyes in his direction as she followed suit and entered the van to head back to the villa.

**Hilde: Gundam Wing (Gals) So…what does it mean when you go to a male strip club with a guy and one of the dancers recognizes the guy? I mean it could be nothing but, I dunno. It was just weird. Something's weird about Bra's assistant for sure. Aside, of course, from the fact that he actually **_**agreed**_** to be her assistant which is quite frankly insane. And I'm gonna find out what it is.**

End Chapter

* * *

**Next Chapter - Chapter 27: Rat Race**

Yusuke has a bad feeling about Cody as he and Keiko have a disagreement about their relationship. Meanwhile, Kurama tries to get Hiei to admit his secret.


	27. Rat Race

A/N: Alright folks, it's time for Chapter 27. We're gonna keep the ball rollin' with this until it's curtains closed. Thanks for the reviews and I do so hope you're enjoying the remainder of the story. Gotta say, I'm gonna miss you guys. It's been a long journey (8 years ya'll). Anyway, expect a special treat for the last chapter that I've also been cooking up lately. ;)

And Sachiya, how'd you get out of your cage? I swear, you leave a slave alone for 5 minutes...lol. Stay awesome girly and thanks!

**Disclaimer: **I own not a damn thing except for what I own.

**Song(s) Disclaimer: "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers; "Shuffle a Dream" by Little Dragon; "I Will Remember You" by Sarah MacLachlan**

**Battle of the Sexes: Anime Style**

**Chapter 27: Rat Race**

_**2a.m.'ish White Shore…**_

Yusuke stood outside on the villa's front entrance sipping a can of _Red Bull_. Considering that he had been staying up late every night since he received the mysterious email, he had been consuming the junk like water. He needed to formulate a plan of action regarding the final challenge, and unfortunately, he was getting nowhere.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I don't know what I'm gonna do. I receive this email and it's just like a bomb has been dropped on me, you know? It's literally been keeping me up at night developing strategies and whatnot. And it's really screwed up too, because with Kuwabara gone I finally have the opportunity to sleep without the loud sound effects of his monster truck snoring. Thanks to the email that's all out and blown to hell.**

Sesshomaru joined the spirit detective on the front deck, noticing that Yusuke appeared to be in deep thought. Being a powerful demon lord, he didn't require much sleep and would use the late night hours to reflect and find some much needed peace since joining the competition. "It appears that the lamented _Muscle Milk_ is not the only available liquid in our possession." Sesshomaru referenced Yusuke's energy drink.

"I won't say anything if you don't." Yusuke half-chuckled as he took another sip from his can.

The demon lord said nothing and only observed as Yusuke downed the last bit of his drink and placed the empty can on the banister of the front deck. He decided that now was as good a time as any to bring up the issue that he knew also plagued Yusuke in that moment. "Yusuke, I am quite interested how you intend to proceed with the final challenge."

"I honestly don't know yet, Sesshomaru." Yusuke breathed.

"So your plan is to enter into such a farce blindly, then?" Sesshomaru surmised.

"No, of course not. That would be stupid. Incredibly."

"I don't disagree with you." There was a beat before Sesshomaru broke the silence once more. "Yusuke, I do not consider you to be an incompetent leader. However, if you can't come up with an effective plan for the final challenge, then my joining this competition will have been meaningless."

Yusuke turned to face Sesshomaru then with widened eyes, "Wait…what?"

Suddenly, the two noticed the transportation van from the girls' villa pulling up next door, stopping right at the entrance. Yusuke narrowed his eyes toward their direction and watched as a well-sized portion of the girls' team gleefully collected out of the vehicle, giggling as they stammered toward the front door. Faye, Hilde and Android 18 all laughed and joked as they giddily entered the villa, reminiscing about a night of drinking and watching half-naked men gyrate on stage to mediocre music.

Yusuke noticed that Keiko was amongst them as she followed Kagome, Winry, Cagalli, Botan and Ryoko out of the van, with Cody supporting her alcohol impaired gait with his arm around her waist. The group giggled and cracked jokes as they slowly made their way to the door.

It was at this point that Yusuke decided to blow Sesshomaru off to gain some intel on exactly what was currently going on with his girlfriend.

She had nearly made it to her villa's front door once she felt a presence behind her. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. "Can I help you with something, Yusuke?" Keiko asked with a coy smile, not bothering to face him. She continued to lean on Cody for support, still not able to quite gain her footing to walk on her own.

"Not really." Yusuke walked around to face the two of them then, looking Cody up and down tepidly. "So, where'd _you_ go last night? And who's this?"

"I'm sorry, Yusuke. I didn't know I was supposed to report to Urameshi Command Center before and after a night out with friends." Keiko snorted.

"You don't. I was just…curious." Yusuke shrugged.

"Oh right. _Curious_. Okay." Keiko released a mocking giggle.

Yusuke studied her demeanor for a beat, coming to a rather shocking realization. His face contorted in disbelief and confusion. "Keiko, are you...are you _drunk_?"

"What? No!" Keiko gave a rather unconvincing wave of denial, stumbling forward as Cody released his hold around her waist so that she could move closer to Yusuke.

"Keiko, I'm pretty sure I know what drunk looks like." Yusuke folded his arms arching his eyebrow. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He had never seen Keiko act in such a way.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I don't know who that girl was, but it wasn't the Keiko I've known my whole life. I mean she barely touches carbonated drinks because of the high sugar content. So something was DEFINITELY going on with her! By default, I'm blaming Faye. That woman is like a disease in the way of immorality. **

"Look, Yusuke, I don't really have time for this right now." Keiko started toward the door, lurching backwards once she felt a firm, but gentle grip on her arm pulling her back. She lowered her eyes to look at the hand grasping her arm and then slowly raised her eyes to view its owner.

Cody made a move to intervene, not certain if the situation would escalate but fully aware that Keiko seemed annoyed. The move caused Yusuke to become visibly irritated as the spirit detective glared at him from the corner of his eye. "Hey, are you cool?" He regarded Keiko warily.

Keiko could see Yusuke opening his mouth in preparation for an onslaught of protests and immediately cut him off. "It's fine, Cody. Go ahead inside with the others."

Sparing Yusuke a final look, Cody followed Keiko's instruction and joined the rest of the girls inside of Starfish. Yusuke watched the taller boy as he closed the door behind him in the girls' villa, unconsciously releasing Keiko's arm as he did so. "So is that guy staying in you guys' villa now, or what?" Yusuke questioned sourly.

"Umm, yes. He is." Keiko confirmed with a grin. She saw Yusuke recoil from the information, mildly satisfied yet also exasperated. "What, are you jealous?"

"No! I was just wondering." Yusuke denied a little too fervently.

Keiko smiled to herself for a moment. Teasing Yusuke was always a fun hobby of hers. However, she couldn't find it within herself to play the 'jealousy game' with him. It just wasn't her style. She was more straightforward and pragmatic than that. "He's Bra's new personal assistant…umm flunky…or whatever." Keiko gestured awkwardly as she attempted to put Yusuke's overactive mind at ease.

"Is that right?" Yusuke smirked at her as he continued with his pseudo-interrogation.

"Yes, Yusuke. We barely see him because he's always with Bra. He even sleeps with her." Keiko shook her head feeling the need to clarify her last statement. "Erm…and by 'sleep' I mean _actual_ sleep, in her bedroom. Not anything…_else_."

"Uh…huh." Yusuke idly turned his head toward Starfish as if to examine the goings on of its interior.

"I kinda feel sorry for him. I mean, how desperate for money does a person have to be to agree to being Bra's personal assistant? The only viable explanation that _I_ can think of is that he hates himself." Keiko hiccupped as she swayed on her feet trying her best to maintain her balance.

Yusuke noticed her unstable state and once again became concerned. "Keiko, are you okay? I mean, really…" He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her, feeling her reflexively tense up from his touch.

"Yes. I'm fine. Why do you keep asking me that?" Keiko diverted her eyes from his piercing gaze, focusing her attention on the flower bed outside of their villa.

"Because you're not acting like yourself. I mean come on, you're obviously drunk and that's not like you at all." Yusuke's voice was sincere.

"What do _you_ know? Maybe it really _is_ like me and you just don't know me very well." Keiko huffed, still avoiding his gaze. She rolled her shoulders to shoo his hands off of them and he obliged her silent request.

"Umm, we've known each other since we were basically fetal. I think I know you pretty well, Keiko." Yusuke laughed. "Just tell me what's going on with you. I know that a lot of us have been changed by this competition, but I'd hate to think that you of all people let this competition change you."

"You're right. Between the two of us, someone has been changed by this competition. But I can say with no conviction that it certainly isn't me." Keiko snipped.

"What? You think _I've_ changed? You're kidding right? If anything I'm the one that's stayed true to myself _and_ you since we started this hellfest." Yusuke retorted. "Or have the good morning and goodnight texts just conveniently slipped your mind?"

"No, they haven't actually. Tell me, Yusuke, when was the last time you sent me the texts Yusuke? Or even called?" Keiko challenged.

"Yesterday!" Yusuke raised his hands in frustration. "I've never stopped sending them, even though you haven't replied to me in days. I still sent them anyway. I just figured you were pissed at me and would eventually get over it like you always do."

"Don't lie to me, Yusuke. You did _not_ send me any texts. The last text message I got from you was the morning before the Gladiator challenge." Keiko slurred as she resisted the urge to burp, the effects of the alcohol that she had consumed finally beginning to take a serious toll.

"Well, if that isn't evidence enough that you're more important to me than this stupid competition then I don't know what is, considering the BLEEP you and your teammates pulled during the ice challenge. Even as pissed as I was, I _still_ put it all behind me and never broke routine because I know this competition is gonna be over at some point, but _you_ I can't afford to lose." Yusuke's voice was beginning to raise a few decibels. He didn't know what else to say to her to convince her that he was still the same person that he was before they started the competition.

"Lower your voice, Yusuke. And don't curse at me. I'm not one of your rowdy, trashy teammates." Keiko was stern, causing Yusuke to immediately straighten.

"I just don't know what else to say to you. I mean if you're not going to believe me no matter what I say…" Yusuke lowered his eyes to the ground, shaking his head in bemusement.

Keiko rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh, a headache beginning to form at her temples. "You know what Yusuke, I'm really not in the mood for this. I'm also currently seeing two of you, and since I can barely muster the patience to talk to just _one_ of you, I'm gonna head inside and go to bed. Goodnight." Turning on her heels, she didn't even spare him a second glance as she entered her villa, shutting the door behind her.

**I've been tryin' to do it right. I've been livin' a lonely life. I've been sleepin' here instead. I've been sleepin' in my bed. Sleepin' in my bed…**

Yusuke watched her enter her villa, a look of defeat heavily evident within his deep brown eyes. Perhaps this competition had changed them all, and not for the better. They had all done things that they were certain to be regretful for once that final finish line was crossed. It was easy to just view things in the present, and not think about the consequences of the future. And it looked like those consequences were manifesting themselves quicker than he expected.

Through the sheer curtains of the girls' villa window, he could see Cody greeting her through the door. The boy had waited on the couch for her to come back inside. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the other boy sneak a touch to her lower back as he guided her to the steps, his eyes following her form as she climbed to her and Botan's room. "The BLEEP _you_ looking at?"

…**I belong with you. You belong with me in my sweet home. I belong with you. You belong with me in my sweet home.**

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) No seriously. What the BLEEP was he looking at? *JEALOUS BOYFRIEND ALERT***

_**4:59am in Starfish…**_

Pan stood centered in the common area of the villa with a devious smirk plastered upon her face. She was fully geared up in her exercise wear in a red tank top, grey shorts, her orange bandana and black running shoes. She viewed her wrist, chuckling to herself with anticipation as she watched the seconds count up on her digital watch. "5…4…3…2…1…" As the clock struck 5 o'clock, she removed a device from behind her back. Pressing the button to blare a loud alarming noise throughout the entirety of the girls' villa, she held down Jonny's challenge air horn that she had apparently 'borrowed' to use for this very moment. "Rise and shine trollops!" Pan shouted, giggling as she heard a few of the girls upstairs plopping down onto the floors having fallen out of their beds.

The girls that had gone out the previous night all dragged themselves from their rooms, covering their ears in agony. An air horn was truly the worst enemy to anyone suffering from a hangover, though of course Pan couldn't care less.

Kagome crawled out of she and Sango's room, clasping her hands over her ears to block out the merciless sound of the air horn. "Seriously?" She groaned.

Hilde, Cagalli, Winry and Keiko all ventured out of their rooms to greet the smaller girl whom they were currently debating whether or not to kill in her sleep later that night. "What the hell, Pan!" Hilde shouted, her head feeling as if it were stuck in a vice of spikes.

Faye and Ryoko sauntered out of their rooms, stretching and yawning lazily apparently unaffected by the loud intrusion. Faye had had about 8 drinks the previous night not including shots, but didn't seem to be suffering from a hangover as she leaned on the balcony banister, watching Pan with amusement.

**Faye: Cowboy Bebop (Gals) Do you have any idea how long I've been drinking late and rising early? I'm practically an expert at this point. Bounty hunting doesn't exactly lend itself to a good night's sleep, ya know!**

Android 18 also seemed to be unaffected by the large amounts of alcohol that she had consumed the previous night. Though that didn't mean that she was any less annoyed by the air horn that Pan was currently abusing. "Pan, we get it. You want us to be awake. Now lay off the horn before I take the damn thing and shove it up your ass."

Pan spared the android a defiant frown, but retired the horn as requested. "Alright team, shuffle downstairs, pronto!" Pan ordered as she briefly disappeared into the kitchen area. Once the girls had all collected into the common area, she passed out mugs of coffee to the individuals whom she knew were suffering from hangovers. "Here, don't say I never gave ya anything." She offered with a wink.

Kagome glanced at the coffee sourly. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but if it meant that the marching band drumline in her head would finally go on an intermission, she was willing to suck down the bitter liquid to bring herself back to life.

**Kagome: Inuyasha (Gals) I am **_**never**_** drinking again. I mean it. I don't ever want to see alcohol in my life. I don't care if it's **_**NyQuil**_**. If I get a cold, it's hot tea and honey from now on for me. I don't understand how this is fun for some people. Namely Faye and Ryoko. I don't know how they do it!**

"Okay, you know the drill by now. Be prepped and ready for training out back by thirty after!" Pan ordered. "Move it, ya maggots!"

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Pan has really taken to this training captain role that I gave her. I'm beginning to think that I made a bad call because she's becoming a tyrant. Waking up someone who has a hangover with an air horn is just soulless. Anyone who does this deserves to be punished to the full extent of cruel and unusual.**

_**Training at White Shore…**_

**You cruise around in your deluxe water craft, and play it big in designer shades acting high class. And the girls that you know all admire that. They'll want your kids in a row, they'll be lining up fast…**

Yusuke and his teammates –save for Sesshomaru who preferred to train solo- ran laps around their villa as the sun began its dim greeting over the horizon. They knew that the day would be scorching and humid considering how muggy it felt so early in the morning hours. They had decided to retire their tops to relieve themselves from the presently rising heat, showing off the tattoos that Hiei had so generously gifted them with a while ago. They felt confident that the competition would end in their favor ultimately, in spite of what they knew about the final challenge.

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) I'm already listing the things I'm gonna buy with my crazy cash. Don't forget that since we won the Gladiator challenge, our prize money will be doubled when…yes I mean **_**when**_** we win the final challenge. 100 grand here I come! And I'm definitely investing it in a stock so it can grow because I'm not an idiot and I intend to make it rain for a loooong time. Hear that ladies? *WINK***

…**You act supreme as your fortune lit the sky, but it's a shell with a crack and you're just a plain guy. Play it big 'cause our world made it easy to, I see those shimmering rocks moving closer to you.**

"I think I'm gonna get a beachfront condo. How's that sound fellas?" Duo breathed as he jogged with the rest of his team.

"Or you can just take one of mine." Trunks smirked.

"Ugh, if you make it to the finals, can you just give me your share, dude? You really don't need it." Duo griped.

"Nope. I've already promised my share to charity." Trunks vowed.

**Trunks: Dragonball Z/GT (Guys) Yes, I'm giving my winnings to charity. The **_**Breast Cancer Research Foundation**_** to be exact. So there. I am infinitely better than the rest of my teammates by default. The greedy bastards. I mean they could at least give 10 percent to charity yet I'm the only one who's discussed doing so. How selfish is that, man? Have some humility. I'm just saying.**

**MTV Producer: Shameless publicity stunt. Check. Please tell us more about how humble you are.**

**Trunks: *CLEARS THROAT* I don't know what you're talking about.**

"Hey, I can be a charity!" Duo whined. It wasn't much of a stretch. After all, he did grow up an orphan on the streets.

"Sure maybe like 15 years ago." Trunks laughed. They continued to do their laps, their eyes catching sight of the girls' team in the middle of doing their pre-exercise stretches…in their exercise gear…their very visually enticing exercise gear. "Whoa…"

**Miroku: Inuyasha (Guys) There are many things that I can say that I enjoy about the modern era. Women in spandex is certainly one of them. *DROOL***

"Oh my…" Miroku sighed as he and the rest of his team began to unconsciously slow down with their laps as they continued to gawk at the girls.

Eventually they had slowed down so much that they ended up jogging in place like idiots, save for Miroku who ended up jogging into the pool. Yusuke's eyes locked on Keiko as the girl bent up and down touching her toes. A dreamy look found its way to his face as he continued to jog in place, unable to remove his gaze from what he considered to the be the most perfect form to graze the earth.

From the back of the line, Hiei couldn't understand what the holdup was. Being the smallest on their team, he couldn't see over the shoulders of his fellow teammates who were blocking his view. Sucking his teeth, he became quickly irritated as he peered around Spike to try and get sight of Yusuke at the front of the line. "Yusuke! You _are_ aware that we're not moving, right?" Hiei snapped irately.

"Right!" Yusuke perked as he and the rest of the boys' team snapped out of their daze and proceeded forward.

"Honestly!" Hiei spat as he followed behind, using every ounce of strength that he possessed not to just push past them all and pull a Sesshomaru by training solo.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I have really tested my patience with these fools whom I've had the displeasure of being surrounded by since the start of this competition. I have even compromised my usual training routine at Yusuke's request, but I can feel my very limited patience waning with every last one of them. Perhaps I should start setting fire to the back of the formation line during our morning laps so as to hurry that long and unnecessarily daunting process to my satisfaction.**

Yusuke allowed his gaze to drift to the back entrance of the girls' villa, noticing as Cody stepped outside to empty a bin of what appeared to be shredded documents in the dumpster, for Bra he assumed. He saw Cody stop momentarily to stare at the girls during their stretching exercises. His blood soon began to boil, however, once he noticed the boy beginning to ogle Keiko rather unapologetically. Yusuke's eyes remained ferociously glued upon the other's form as the dark-haired boy proceeded to practically violate his girlfriend with his grey eyes.

"What the…" Yusuke growled under his breath. He was so full of rage that he lost focus of his direction running straight into a tree, knocking himself off of his feet.

"Watch out for that tree." Hiei commented dryly as he and the rest of the team continued on with their jog with the fire demon now leading the formation, significantly speeding up the pace.

"Thanks." Yusuke groaned.

_**Busy Morning in Starfish…**_

"Alright ladies, hit the showers! I'll whip up a nice waffle breakfast. You guys like _Eggo_ right?" Pan chirped.

"You're not making them from scratch?" Miriallia pouted as she and Lacus headed for the restrooms to shower.

"Is my name Betty Crocker? No!" Pan placed her hands on her hips.

"Alright, alright…" Miriallia rolled her eyes, not wanting to fight with the girl about something so trivial.

Pan strut her way towards the kitchen, pulling out the industrial toaster and plugging the device in. She heard the door swing open to Bra's room, the other girl yelling her orders to her personal assistant. She could only sigh from the display. "What a mook."

"And the next time you try to give me egg whites from the carton, we're gonna have a _serious_ problem! Now get in there and crack those eggs like a man!" Bra shouted to Cody who stumbled outside, cleaning the aforementioned carton egg whites out of his hair.

Keiko saw him exiting and watched as he attempted with little success to move bits of egg from his raven locks. Walking over to him, she offered her towel to aid with the cleanup. "I barely used it so it's not sweaty or anything." Keiko half-smiled.

"Oh, thanks." Cody accepted the pink hand towel and wiped the back of his neck and face clean of the stray egg bits.

"I must say, you definitely have the patience of a saint to be able to put up with her for this long." Keiko raised her eyebrows.

"It's only been a day. Besides, I've put up with worse from clients." Cody shrugged.

"Ah, you've been a personal assistant before? What was your last boss like?" Keiko queried.

"I guess he was nice. Kinda old so he couldn't really do much. He used to have me help him get dressed in the morning because of bad arthritis." The boy fidgeted with the towel awkwardly, seeming uncomfortable with the discussion regarding his former employers.

"Wow. So you were basically like his nursemaid then?" Keiko joked.

"Something like that, yeah. Hey, uhh…I'd better get to cracking those eggs. Don't want her coming to look for me." He smiled lazily.

"Right, good luck with that!" Keiko watched as he rushed for the kitchen, hurriedly pulling out his needed supplies to prepare Bra's yolk-free omelet. She saw him run into Pan who returned with an annoyed protest to his abdominal region due to their extreme height difference. She had to laugh at the fiasco and he apologized for not seeing the small girl.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) I don't know why, but I just felt a need to tell Bra to ease up on her assistant a bit. I mean, she should be grateful that anyone capable of reason had agreed to the job in the first place. I honestly don't know what her problem is.**

Keiko, in a moment of feeling bold and not at all being intimidated by Bra's biting personality, decided to tap on the girl's door to have a brief word.

"Ohmygod…what!" Bra's muffled, snippy voice could be heard on the other side.

"Bra it's me, Keiko. Can I come in?"

"Umm…no…?" Bra sounded confused.

"Okay, I'm opening the door." Keiko ignored the other's rejection.

"Did you not just…what do you want, Keiko? I'm busy." Bra sat behind her desk, pen in one hand and her forehead in the other. She occasionally would go back and forth between typing something on her laptop and jotting down chicken scratch on a notepad.

"I know you're busy, Bra, and I'm not going to stay long, but I think I need to talk to you about your PA." Keiko started. She noticed Bra become visibly nervous, something that she had never seen from the blue-haired Saiyan Princess. It was mildly alarming.

"Why? Did he do something?" Bra spat quickly.

"No…" Keiko narrowed her eyes as if to study the other girl.

Bra became agitated under Keiko's scrutiny and felt a need to break the silence. "Then what is it? And can you hurry up and spit it out already? I've got memos to write up to like a hundred different plant operations managers, and they all have to be unique to each plant so this is no copy/paste job."

"No I was just going to say that maybe you should be a little easier on, Cody. I mean, if we're honest, you finding a PA is nothing short of miraculous. I doubt that if he decides to quit you'll be able to find an immediate replacement, however." Keiko warned.

"Thanks for your concern, but he's not going to quit because he's not stupid enough to turn down 800 dollars a day. Why don't you worry about people who actually need your concern like this sad excuse for a team, for instance? You may leave me now." Bra shooed Keiko out of her room as she returned her focus to her work.

Keiko widened her eyes. "800 dollars a day?" She spoke under her breath as she headed for one of the upstairs restrooms.

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Okay, I know this is Bra's PA and he no doubt deserves to be fairly compensated for putting up with that scurvy. But what kind of PA makes 800 dollars a day? That's like 22,000 dollars a month! Something is not right about that arrangement. At all.**

Upstairs, Lacus enjoyed a nice, warm shower, allowing the powerful water jet to massage her aching muscles as she closed her eyes reveling in the sensation of relief. She didn't notice that from the cracked bathroom window a green plant root snaked its way through the opening, heading straight for the shower stall. Opening her shampoo container, the root dripped a liquid into its confines, slickly closing the container once again as it completed its task and inconspicuously slithered out of the ajar window.

Down on the ground below stood Kurama as he guided the plant back down to its seedling state, popping the seed back into his pocket. Sparing the open window a victorious smirk, he turned to head back to his villa and prepare for the next challenge with the rest of his teammates.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) It takes quite a bit to get on my bad side and become an established enemy. Tossing my brand new **_**HTC One**_** into 3 feet of water just so happens to be one of them. *KURAMA DON'T PLAY THAT***

"_What's the text message say, Winry?"_ Kurama heard Botan's voice call from the downstairs area.

"_It's a good thing you're not elephants, otherwise this next challenge would prove to be quite terrifying! Be ready to leave the villas at 11am on the dot." _Winry called out.

"Hmm." Kurama thought over the message in an attempt to decipher the cryptic message.

_**19**__**th**__** Challenge: Rat Race**_

They were brought to a local park in the area noticing that Jonny and Brad stood within an ankle length enclosure of sorts. The two waved as the challengers approached the area with looks of deep confusion plastered on their faces. "Uhh, Jonny, what is this?" Faye questioned.

"Yeah, where's the typical 'challenge' stuff? Where's the gear? Where's the inevitable death traps?" Yusuke added.

"You're looking at it. Well, not so much the death traps, but yep this is it." Jonny smiled.

The players stared down at the enclosure of what appeared to be a miniature race track, confusion still evident upon their features. "Okay," Pan began, "I don't get it."

"Well folks, today's challenge is going to be a little different. First and foremost, you all are going to do very little if any work whatsoever." Jonny explained. He then drew his attention to a small box to his left covered with a white sheet.

"That sounds too good to be true. Explain." Hilde demanded.

Jonny then bent down and uncovered the small box, revealing a cage of albino rats.

"Lemme guess, we're gonna have to lie down with those things or something." Kagome shivered.

"While that's an excellent idea, we've already done something like that with the human aquarium challenge, so no." Jonny corrected. "No, these rats have been donated by _Covance _research laboratories. Each of you guys are going to get your own rat. You will then proceed to the 'track' here and place your rat down at the start line. Currently, my air horn is M.I.A, so I will give you the go ahead by blowing this whistle, at which point you will then lift the door and send the rats on their way. Whoever has a rat reach the finish line first wins 1000 points for themselves and 2000 points to their team score. The loser gets nothing. There is no time limit for this challenge and no DQs. After all, we're not heartless enough to disqualify you for the unpredictable behavior of a lab rodent who may or may not be on the drugs."

"Wait…drugs?" Keiko swallowed.

"Yeah, as I said these are donations from Covance labs who develop pharmaceuticals. They test the drugs on these rats so you may get a rat on Modafinil or a rat on Oxycontin. It's really Russian Roulette."

"What's Modafinil?" Bra questioned.

"Basically a _5-Hour Energy _shot on crank." Jonny explained.

"Wait, so it's like a super energy drink to help keep you awake when you need to pull an all-nighter like say to do an insane amount of work?" Bra pried.

"Yeeeah. Why, Bra?" Jonny frowned.

"Just wondering." Bra shrugged. "Go on."

"Right. So, you'll pick up your rat from the cage, and pray that it doesn't let ya down, got it? Good!" Jonny finished. "Brad, read off the prize."

"Winner of this challenge, meaning, whoever's rat reaches the finish line in the fastest time, will win the Chibi Wolf Hero and this prize." Brad held up a photo of what looked like the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. "An all-expenses paid trip to Sydney, Australia which includes hotel stay in a five star resort and all sorts of other good stuff that we, in all honesty, haven't cleared yet."

"Brad." Jonny scolded.

"What?"

"Just give the starting scores, Brad." Jonny shook his head.

"Yeah, okay. Men you have starting score of 130,349. Ladies your starting score is 90,458."

"Awesome. Alright players, first up are Android 18 and Kurama. Guys come on over and grab your rats." Jonny instructed.

Kurama headed for the cage to retrieve his rat, smiling to himself as he noticed Lacus feverishly scratching her head from the corner of his eye. "Hmph."

"Lacus," Cagalli began warily, "are you okay? You've been scratching your head like that since we left the villa."

"I don't know. It's just like my entire scalp is just really irritated for some reason." Lacus groaned as she continued to scratch her cranium.

"Uh oh. You don't have head lice do you?" Cagalli backed away unconsciously.

"Of course not! It must be my new shampoo. I _did_ decide to change brands." Lacus frowned.

"Still, it shouldn't be itching that badly, should it?"

"No." Lacus whined as she turned away from the competition. Her scalp was now beginning to burn, the afternoon sun not helping with the unpleasant feeling. "Ow."

Meanwhile, Kurama and Android 18 placed their rats at the start line of the miniature race track. Jonny then blew his whistle signaling for both players to release the door and send the rats down the track. Kurama noticed that his rat appeared lethargic and quite obese by rat standards. "I don't suppose this will end well." He stated to himself as he watched the rat take one step and then suddenly roll over onto its back and become stiff. Very stiff. "Jonny."

"Yeah, what's up, Kurama?" Jonny trotted over to the red haired boy.

"I believe that my rat has died." Kurama determined.

"What?" Jonny yelped. He then picked up the animal surveying it for any signs of life finally realizing that it was indeed dead. "Wow. I guess you got the one for the diabetes research. Why'd you pick up the obese one, anyway? I expected that one to get picked last."

"I pitied it." Kurama stated simply.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I was also just going to drug it with stimulants from one of my plant strains. In its obese state, I'm certain it could've used the sense of athletic accomplishment. *CONDESCENDING SMILE***

"Well, we only brought 28 rats which is enough for you guys so, I guess Android 18 wins by involuntary forfeit." Jonny finalized.

"What? No." Kurama stood to his feet, not at all satisfied by the results.

"Really, we won? Awesome. That was really easy." Android 18 then stood to her feet and dropped the rat in the 'raced' cage.

"You know what, Kurama, I've been waiting for that bleeding heart of yours to bite us in the ass one day." Yusuke grumbled. "Nice job."

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) He just HAD to pick the fat one! You know, Kurama's that guy who picks the fat kid first in softball, thereby screwing the entire team for the remainder of the game. You know that guy. I **_**hate**_** that guy. He's a douche.**

"Up next we have Botan and Spike." Jonny announced.

Both Spike and Botan headed for the cage, grabbing their chosen rats and venturing over to the track to commence the race. They noticed that their rats seemed to sway side to side unsteadily, appearing drunk and out of it. "Geez, what the hell are these things on?" Spike griped.

"I believe mine has been given an array of drugs. It keeps twirling in circles and bumping into the walls." Botan surmised.

"Sounds like Codeine." Spike chuckled.

**Spike: Cowboy Bebop (Guys) At least that's been my experience with it. *SHRUGS***

"Oh I refuse to let this poor thing go on like this." Botan breathed sympathetically. Picking the small creature up, she then emitted a soft glow from the palms of her hands, watching as the rat slowly began to become lucid and lively once again.

"Hey, hey, hey…that's cheating! She's cheating!" Spike pointed.

"Offering your rats first aid is actually not cheating, Spike. Sorry, but we're going to allow it." Jonny explained.

"How the hell is that 'first aid?' What first aid kits do you know that include whatever the hell she just pulled right there?" Spike protested. His laments went ignored however as Jonny gave them the signal to lift the doors and send their rats on their way down the track toward the bait at the finish line. "ShBLEEP!"

"Go on little one. Keep going straight. Good boy!" Botan cheered on her rat who swiftly made its way down the track nearing the finish line. Meanwhile, Spike's rat continued to spin in circles and repeatedly run into walls, slowing down its venture down the track significantly.

"This is such bullBLEEP." Spike shook his head in disbelief, watching as Botan's rat finally crossed the finish line, leaving his discombobulated rodent in the proverbial dust. "Damn it!"

"Winner, Botan!" Jonny declared.

"She cheated!" Spike continued.

"No, Spike I didn't. I merely helped him feel better." Botan corrected.

"What kind of idiot do you take me for, Blue?" Spike growled.

A slight smirk found its way to Botan's lips. "Do you really want me to tell you? Green?"

"Why you…"

"Now, now, kids. Play nice." Jonny joked as Brad and Nicole prepared the track for the next race. "Alright, Bra and Hiei you're up!"

Bra quickly made her way over to the cage behind Hiei, waiting for the fire demon to select his racing rat as she continued a phone call on one of her work phones with a plant manager in Germany. She held the _Blackberry_ between her shoulder and cheek while her other hand held an _HTC Evo_ open to _Google Translate._ "Nein…nein. Uhh…die memos haben…uhh…alles was sie…umm…damn it I clicked out of it. Sorry! I mean…die thing…shBLEEP!"

"Will you quit your incessant yammering and select your rodent, already?" Hiei demanded lowly.

"Will you _wait_?" Bra growled.

"No."

"Come on, Bra." Jonny urged.

The spoiled and pampered heiress then reached into the cage lazily with one hand to pick up her rat. Hurriedly trying to choose one, she ended up startling her selection causing the creature to bite her hand out of fear. "Ow, damn it!" Her yelps caused a wave of laughs to filter throughout the park as both the boys and girls could barely contain themselves over what had just happened. "It's not funny, you assBLEEPS!

"The hell it isn't!" Yusuke let out with a guttural chuckle.

"That truly is the funniest thing I've seen all damn day." Faye was doubled over with laughter.

Bra was not amused, however. "What the hell would make that thing do that?"

"It's probably because animals have the ability to sense evil." Sango jabbed.

"Whatever. I need medical attention." Bra raised her assaulted hand towards Jonny.

Jonny examined her hand thoroughly, a frown forming on his face after surveying the area. "Bra, it didn't even break the skin."

"So what! I was bitten by some drugged up, science experiment. In every movie that always produces unsavory results for the hero." Bra reasoned.

"Then it's a good thing you're not the hero, then." Inuyasha huffed.

"Shut up! I need to get to a hospital, now!" Bra demanded.

Keiko couldn't believe that the girl was actually entertaining thoughts of walking away from a challenge. "Bra, what about the challenge?"

"Umm, I don't see why I need to be here for it. It's basically like the lottery. You don't need to physically be in the drawing room when they pull the numbers. Now get me to a damn hospital!"

"If the girl wishes to be away from the challenge, I see no reason for us to fight her." Hiei stated simply as he placed his rat at the starting line.

"Fine Bra, just pick your rat first." Jonny sighed.

"What? No! I'm not touching those things again. You do it." Bra folded her arms.

Not wanting to argue with her, Jonny reached over and went for the rat. "Which one do you want?"

"The white one, with the red, beady eyes."

"Bra. They are _all_ white with red, beady eyes." Jonny tried to retain his cool.

"No, the one I picked had _really_ red eyes and was extra snow white." Bra explained.

Jonny stared at the girl for a moment before reaching into the cage and just selecting any rat. "This one?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Alrighty then." Jonny shook his head as he walked the rat over to the race track and placed it at the starting line. He saw the transportation van pulling up to take Bra away from the challenge and immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Okay Bra, it looks like the transportation van is ready to take you to the nearest hospital. Good luck."

"Thanks!" Bra perked as she hopped into the transportation van and left the challenge.

**Winry: Full Metal Alchemist (Gals) I can't believe that Bra actually left the challenge! As passionate as she is about us winning, her leaving the challenge truly made me a little frightened. I think that she may be going crazy…er.**

"Ladies one of you come over here and lift the door when I blow the whistle. I legally cannot do both." Jonny requested.

"I'll do it." Cagalli volunteered.

"Awesome. Alright folks, on your mark…get set…" Jonny then blew his whistle, signaling for both Cagalli and Hiei to raise the doors for their rats and watch them make their ways down the track. Surprisingly, both rats seemed quite normal and not impaired by drugs as the creatures quickly made their way towards the bait at the finish line.

"Come on little guy. There you go!" Cagalli cheered on Bra's rat as it shuffled its little feet, occasionally stopping to fervently sniff the air and proceeding forward. "No, now's not the time to groom yourself. Keep moving!"

"Wow, Bra's right," Miriallia began, "I guess in a way, this is basically like gambling."

**Miriallia: Gundam SEED (Gals) I hate gambling. Mostly because I'm terrible at it, but also because I truly believe that it's composed of games not meant to be won by anyone ever.**

Hiei's rat was gaining distance between itself and Bra's as it neared the finish line, the fire demon watching with intense anticipation as the rodent barely maintained a significant gap between its opponent. Bra's rat was then neck and neck with his own before pushing up and getting ahead of the race, leaving his rat behind. Just then, he saw his rat pull up once more and watched as it finally reached its goal with Bra's rat on its heels. He heard his teammates celebrating at his win and released a breath he wasn't even aware he had been holding the entire time.

**Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I wasn't nervous. I simply don't appreciate not being in control of the outcome of a challenge. *WAS TOTALLY NERVOUS* I suggest you stop looking at me that way if you know what's good for you. *FOREHEAD BEGINS TO SMOKE BEHIND BANDANA***

"Alright. Winner of this round by a rat tail, Hiei!" Jonny exclaimed.

"Phew! That was a close one!" Ed sighed rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

"I'll say!" Yusuke breathed. "Were you as nervous as I was, Hiei? Because it definitely looked like you were gonna lose it, there."

"No." Hiei didn't bother to look Yusuke in the eyes as he sat away from the rest of the others for the duration of the challenge.

**Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) When is he gonna realize that when he gets all broody that I know he means the exact opposite of whatever he said? You're not that difficult to figure out, Hiei! You were completely nervous! I could practically see the sweat beads forming at your temples.**

The game continued on with Sesshomaru going against Keiko. The demon lord, much like Hiei, was not pleased that he had little to no control over the outcome of the challenge. He watched as his rat began to chew on the walls making its escape and heading for the rest of the park. By this time, Keiko's rat had made it halfway down the track, the majority of the boys' team attempting to chase Sesshomaru's rat down to place it back into the race.

"Why the hell are those walls chewable, anyway?" Duo complained. "They're rats, for crying out loud!"

"Ooh, there, heading for that bush!" Ed called out. "I see it! Get it!"

Sesshomaru could only watch with a disinterested glare as his teammates scrambled across the park in their hunt for his rat.

**Sesshomaru: Inuyasha (Guys) At that point, Keiko's rat had already accomplished its goal. So their hunt was pointless. While it is disappointing, I refuse to take responsibility for a loss that was truly not my own.**

**MTV producer: But…you **_**did**_** lose.**

**Sesshomaru: *HAND BEGINS TO SMOKE WITH GREEN POISON SMOKE***

**MTV producer: The rat was clearly incompetent. *GULPS***

The boys had finally managed to retrieve Sesshomaru's stray rat, though it was much too late at that point. The players watched as Brad and Nicole patched up the hole in the boys' race track in preparation for the next round between Lacus and Duo. The pink-haired girl trotted to the cage to retrieve her rat, her scalp feeling as though someone had doused it in battery acid.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) Something was definitely going on. I knew that I had recently changed shampoos, however, the irritation that I was experiencing on my scalp was obviously not normal.**

"What's with you?" Duo cocked an eye as he observed Lacus feverishly scratching her head.

"I…I don't know…it just really…" Lacus could barely speak, her scalp was bothering her so badly.

"Okay, well, you're starting to flake up, there…" Duo's face contorted in disgust.

"Really?" Lacus pulled out her compact, looking in the mirror to see that her scalp was badly inflamed and indeed flaking. "Ew! This is disgusting!"

"I'll say. It's like Christmas in July over there." Duo chuckled as he sat his rat down at the starting line.

"How did this happen? This can't possibly be only from my shampoo!" Lacus cried.

"Perhaps you encountered a poisonous plant with an extreme potency." Came Kurama's voice then. He sounded far too calm to be at all comforting.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Lacus ground out.

"It means that you should pay attention to the task at hand. It appears that Jonny is about to start." Not seconds later did Jonny blow his whistle notifying the players to lift the doors and let their rats free.

Lacus was too distracted by the burning sensations on her scalp to concentrate on anything having to do with the challenge. She glared at Kurama who only stared at her with what she could've sworn was mock concern. "You. You did this to me, didn't you?" Lacus accused.

"Who says that revenge is a dish that can only be served cold? I prefer hot myself." Kurama smirked.

"Whoa, red," Duo's eyes widened, "_you're_ the reason she's scratching like a flea-ridden street hooker?"

**Duo: Gundam Wing (Guys) Gotta say, I didn't know the guy had it in him!**

"What did you do to me?" Lacus shrieked, not noticing or caring when Duo's rat crossed the finish line, winning the race for his team.

"In simple terms, I dosed your shampoo this morning with the oils of a highly poisonous plant from Makai that rivals both Poison Oak and Poison Ivy in potency when it comes into contact with human skin." Kurama explained.

"What!" Lacus couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Don't be alarmed. By diluting the oils with the chemicals in your shampoo, it greatly reduced the potency of the plant as direct contact with human skin has the same effects as sodium hydroxide." Kurama further explained with a smile.

"You put demon lye in her hair!" Duo squealed with excitement.

"Kurama!" Lacus growled.

"I must warn you. The chemical is soluble in water so attempting to rinse it out will only worsen its effects."

"Kurama," Keiko frowned, "why would you do something like that?"

**Keiko: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) Has everyone on this team gone completely bonkers?!**

"I have my reasons."

"She threw his _HTC One_ in the pool." Duo answered simply.

"Seriously? All of this can't be over a phone!" Keiko was not pleased. "Kurama, fix this!"

"Certainly. But first, you must tell me the magic word." Kurama smiled triumphantly.

"NOW!" Keiko was furious, causing Kurama to start slightly.

"My. Someone's testy." The kitsune spared Keiko a strange look.

"Just do it. We don't have time for these immature games. Honestly, I'm disappointed in you, Kurama." Keiko walked over to Lacus then, whom at this point was on her knees on the ground, grasping large portions of grass into her fists so as to resist the urge to scratch her hair.

Keiko examined the girl's scalp then, seeing how red and irritated it had become. She felt Lacus lurch forward at her touch. "It's okay, it's okay."

"Okay, but don't touch it!" Lacus protested.

"I'm just trying to see how bad it is. I promise I'll be very careful, okay?" Keiko assured.

"No, no, no, no…don't touch it, don't touch it, please!" Lacus pleaded. The girl was on the verge of tears her scalp was burning so badly.

"Okay, okay, I won't touch it. I'm just looking, that's all." Keiko attempted to calm the other girl.

"Wow Kurama. That is_ not_ cool." Cagalli chastised, many of the players were too distracted by the current incident to pay attention to Faye and Yusuke's race in the background. From the sounds of it, Faye's rat was doing an embarrassingly poor job as it decided to just plop down in the middle of the track and nibble on its feet for no reason whatsoever.

"Yeah, really, Kurama. I thought you were nice." Kagome rolled her eyes at the fox spirit as she joined Keiko and Cagalli around Lacus.

"Oh my god, do you guys _see_ this?" Keiko started as she pointed at Lacus' scalp. "These are chemical burns."

"Oh yeah, those are definitely chemical burns." Cagalli agreed. "I've colored my hair enough to recognize those marks anywhere."

"I don't believe this!" Keiko was beyond angry. "Kurama, what is wrong with you? Why are you and Yusuke acting this way?"

Yusuke approached the commotion from winning his match just in time to hear his name mentioned. "Me? What did _I_ do?"

"Everything and nothing at all!" Keiko bellowed. "It's like you guys have let this competition turn you into complete…complete…just…ASSBLEEPS!" They could almost see the flames coming out from the sides of her face.

"Oh my," Botan worried her lower lip, "the boys have finally driven Keiko to employ profanities."

**Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho (Gals) It's all downhill from here, folks!**

"I've HAD it! With everyone! Literally EVERYONE!" Keiko then grabbed Lacus' hand as the two stormed toward the spare transportation van yelling to the driver to take them to the hospital.

"Keiko, you can't leave before eliminations! You're part of the Inner Circle!" Jonny called out to the girl's retreating form.

"Screw eliminations!" Keiko shot back as she and Lacus entered the van and departed from the challenge.

The area was silent and awkward as everyone tried to process what had just happened. They couldn't believe Keiko's outburst. The girl was usually so together and refined. She never lost her temper and usually kept a smile on her face even in the worst times of the competition. It was clear that she had finally reached her breaking point and was genuinely fed up with the boys.

"I suppose, I went too far." Kurama admitted with a guilty sigh. "Botan."

"Y-yes, Kurama?"

"Would you be so kind as to fly me to the hospital? There's something that I need to do." Kurama asked somberly.

"Sure." Botan retrieved her oar then, the item floating over the ground as both she and Kurama took a seat upon its wooden handle.

"Hey," Ryoko began, "where the hell were you keeping that thing?"

"It's a secret!" Botan perked with a wink as she and Kurama ascended into the sky to head for the hospital.

"Wow," Jonny started, "there's never a dull moment with you guys is there? I love it!"

The competition continued on from that point in what was nearly a landslide victory for the girls' team. It seemed that the boys just couldn't catch a break by choosing the most drugged up rats. Trunks' rat completely fell asleep in its race against Ryoko's. While Ed's rat wouldn't stop vomiting in its race against Kagome's. The cleanup caused the challenge to be delayed while Ed made an effort to aid his rodent, feeling quite sorry for the creature that was being tested on antiemetics. And though Inuyasha and Android 17 offered a glimmer of hope with their wins against Hilde and Sango, Heero's loss against Pan, Koga's loss to Miriallia, and Miroku's loss to Winry pretty much set the tone for the remainder of the challenge. Simply put, the boy's apparently had the worst rats ever.

**Heero: Gundam Wing (Guys) Of all the drugs that the rats had been tested on. Not a single one of them had been tested on steroids. Not one. This was obviously done on purpose.**

"Alright guys, let's hear a round of applause for your rats, they did an awesome job…sort of." Jonny began.

Brad raised his hand then, his messy blonde locks waving in the wind that began to pick up in the area. "Wait, can we like, have a moment of silence for the life that was lost in the making of this episode?"

"Oh, right. The fat one." Jonny remembered. "Fine. Camera! Roll it."

_**SCREEN CUTS TO A SLIDE SHOW OF SPECIMEN #R-19…AKA "The Fat One"**_

**I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by. Weep not for the memories…**

_(Insert photo of #R-19 as a baby suckling milk from a hamster cage water bottle)_

**...Remember the good times that we had? I let them slip away from us when things got bad. How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun. Wanna feel your warmth upon me. I wanna be the one…**

_(Another photo of a normal size #R-19 being injected with an unknown substance)_

…**I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by. Weep not for the memories…**

_(Yet another photo of a much larger #R-19 stuffing its face full of meal…bottom of screen reads Day 7 Leptin Deficiency Study)_

…**Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night. You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light…**

_(One last photo of #R-19 rolled over on its back with food all over its face and belly…sleeping)_

**The Fat One**

**August 2****nd**** – August 27****th**

**He liked to eat. A lot.**

_Now back to your regularly scheduled programming_

"Such a tragedy." Jonny sighed. After a beat he perked back up to proceed with the closing notes of the challenge. "Okay, winners for today's challenge, the ladies! Chibi Wolf Hero recipient and winner of all-expenses paid trip to Australia, Android 18. Congratulations!"

The girls all cheered for their win, satisfied that they were finally gaining on the boys' heels, slowly but surely. "Final scores are for the boys: 140,349 and ladies 108,458. This could very easily get tighter as the competition progresses folks. So stay focused."

"Good point." Yusuke nodded.

"Inner Circles, it's that time. You know what to do."

_**Eliminations…**_

Though Keiko had yet to return from the hospital with Lacus, Faye and Pan still had to make the decision without her. They knew that it wouldn't matter, however, considering that they stuck to their original format of sending home the player with the lowest score, anyway. So by that rule, they ended up sending Miriallia home. The guys had sent Kira home in spite of his not being on the bottom. The mysterious method change was starting to drive Pan nuts.

**Pan: Dragonball Z/GT (Gals) Okay. That's it! I'm gonna ask them what the deal is with how they're conducting their eliminations because this is just getting weird! Kira was in their Inner Circle! What the hell are they doing?**

"Kira?" Jonny was shocked. "You're sending home, Kira? He's part of your Inner Circle." Jonny didn't understand.

"Hey, don't question it. Kurama will be taking his place." Yusuke explained.

"But…why?" Jonny was highly confused.

"I said don't question it!" Yusuke snipped causing Jonny to back off.

"Alright fine. If that's how you want to play it. New Inner Circle for the boys is now, Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama. Whatever." Jonny announced dryly.

"Thank you."

"What the hell?" Cagalli as well as the majority of her team was completely baffled. They had eliminated a player that was nowhere near the bottom and in fact was a part of their Inner Circle. What was worse yet, is that Kira didn't seem to mind at all. "Kira, what's going on?"

"I'm being eliminated." Kira answered plainly.

"Obviously. But why?" Cagalli furrowed her brow.

"Don't question it, okay? It's fine." He smiled.

"No, no you guys are up to something. I want to know what it is." Cagalli pressed.

"I second that!" Pan added.

"Sorry guys but, it's not really your business." Kira shrugged. "Good luck with the rest of the competition." Without a second glance, Kira hopped into a spare transportation van joining Miriallia on their quest to the airport.

**Cagalli: Gundam SEED (Gals) What did he mean 'it's not our business?' There's definitely something drastic going on, otherwise they wouldn't do something so out of left field like eliminating a member of their Inner Circle. They're hiding something. And we **_**will**_** find out what it is.**

"Hey, ladies," Faye regarded the rest of her team quietly, "team meeting tonight." They all nodded in response. So help them they were going to get to the bottom of what was going on.

_**Meanwhile in Starfish…**_

The rest of the team was still at the challenge site and the villa was mostly empty save for Cody and Bra who had returned from her visit to the emergency room with a Band-Aid and an otherwise unnecessary prescription. She locked herself in her room, dictating memos to Cody who had been given the task of typing her dictation. The boy truly had to channel his inner stenographer considering Bra's strict rules of not having to repeat herself and wanting to hurry and get the process over with. After all, they had 121 memos to write up, all needing to be unique to each individual plant. Poor thing.

Upstairs, Keiko and Lacus were in the bathroom trying to soothe the burn around Lacus' hairline with shea butter cream. "Ah!" Lacus winced as Keiko played the role of nurse with her gloved hands and Q tips applying the cream.

"Just hold still." Keiko urged as she carefully applied the cream around Lacus' hairline which had developed a ring of fine, red bumps that were tender to the touch. "God, I could kill Kurama for this." Keiko stated through gritted teeth.

"No, I…I suppose I deserved it. I ruined his cellphone." Lacus admitted.

"But you didn't mean for it to go into the pool." Keiko reasoned.

"Still, I shouldn't have done as much as I did. I just don't understand why he's being so mean to me all of a sudden. He was so nice to me before, and then all of a sudden he just…changed." Lacus' voice cracked as the other tried to hold back tears.

Outside of the 3rd floor bathroom, Kurama and Botan stood listening to the girls' conversation. Kurama was about to enter to offer a solution to the plant's effects that he had placed in Lacus' shampoo. He couldn't help but feel remorse as he heard Lacus go on about how much he had hurt her feelings.

Botan spared Kurama a look of disappointment before retreating to her and Keiko's room downstairs. "Bad, Kurama! Very bad, Kurama!" Botan whispered as she pointed a scolding finger towards Kurama as she continued down the steps.

**Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho (Guys) I believe my plan had backfired and that it was time to make amends. As it stood, even Keiko was upset with me. I had never seen her so furious with someone. Not even Yusuke. So I knew that I had acted rashly. *AWKWARD PAUSE* No pun intended.**

Kurama knocked on the bathroom door, listening for Keiko to give him the clearance to enter. He saw her face falter once she laid eyes upon his form. "Hello Keiko. Lacus. Do you mind if I join you?"

"That depends. Are we going to wake up tomorrow with boils or something after this encounter?" Keiko folded her arms.

"No. Nothing like that." Kurama denied sincerely. "I'm actually here to make amends."

"Amends?" Keiko wasn't convinced. She noticed that Lacus wouldn't even look at him.

"Keiko, do you mind if I have a moment alone with Lacus?" Kurama asked politely.

"I don't know…" Keiko trailed.

"Keiko. It's me. Have you known me to ever break a promise? And I promise you now that I will be on my best behavior." Kurama offered a gentle smile, easing Keiko's spirits somewhat.

"Fine. But make it quick. More than five minutes, and I'm coming in here with punishment." She gave Kurama a look before exiting the bathroom leaving the two inside alone to have a much needed discussion.

The atmosphere was silent and uncomfortable before Kurama decided to speak. He stood in front of her then, leaning against the sink and folding his arms across his chest. "Lacus, I believe I have a confession to make."

Lacus spared him a look then, furrowing her brow in confusion.

**Lacus: Gundam SEED (Gals) O_O *SPEECHLESS* Well, **_**that **_**was unexpected.**

_**Evening in White Shore…**_

Hiei stood over his bed in his and Kurama's room, gathering items into his duffle bag and stuffing them inside quite sporadically. Being grateful that he hadn't brought many supplies, he zipped up the bag and dropped it onto the floor. Walking over to the nightstand, he picked up his cellphone. Opening it, he noticed the last dialed number was unfamiliar. Thinking for a moment, he finally recognized the number as Kurama's home number. His eyes then immediately widened as a million and one thoughts swam through his mind then.

Kurama entered the room then, noticing that Hiei's bed had been stripped down to the mattress and Hiei's bag was packed. "Hiei. You're not leaving the competition early are you?"

"No. I'm moving into Kira and Athrun's old room. I find it easier to focus if I am awarded my solitude." There was a pause before Hiei turned on his heel and faced the kitsune, an unreadable expression on his face. "Fox, did you help yourself to my cellphone recently?"

"Yes. I needed to make an important phone call home. As you know, mine is currently, unusable." Kurama admitted.

"What else did you do with it?" Hiei seemed to be interrogating the other boy as he narrowed his eyes towards his direction.

"Nothing, Hiei. I simply made one phone call. That's it." Kurama nibbled on his lower lip before speaking once again. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No. It's nothing." Hiei then picked up his bag and headed for the door brushing past Kurama on his way out.

"Hiei." Kurama called out, causing the fire demon to stop in the hallway. "Is there something you wish to share with me? You know that you can always tell me anything."

Hiei stood still for a moment before proceeding to the 2nd floor to Athrun and Kira's now vacant room. He didn't bother to acknowledge Kurama's statement.

"Hey, Hiei there's some pizza down-" Yusuke was cut-off as Hiei rushed past him and entered into his new room, shutting the door behind him. "Okay, what the hell was that about?"

Kurama leaned over the balcony banister, gazing down at Yusuke who stood on the middle of the steps. "It appears Hiei has a few more layers than we initially thought."

Yusuke only frowned not knowing at all what Kurama was talking about. "Hey, Kurama do me a favor."

"Hmm?"

"You know that thing you do where you explain things cryptically and tip-toe around the issue to make yourself seem deep and mysterious?"

"Eh?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna need you to stop that shBLEEP."

End Chapter

* * *

**Next Chapter - Chapter 28: Electro-Shock**

_The girls try to figure out what the boys are hiding as Bra's behavior begins to worry her teammates more than usual. Meanwhile, Yusuke gets into a rather messy confrontation with Cody over Keiko._


End file.
